It has been dubbed the "baby gap", the "birth dearth" and the "demographic slump". Whatever they choose to call it, many politicians and commentators have whipped themselves up into a frenzy about shrinking populations. Across the developed world, governments are using taxpayers' money to encourage women to have more babies. French women get an extra £675-a-month tax break if they have a third child. The Polish government has recently approved a one-off payment of almost £200 for each new baby. Couples in Singapore who have a child before the age of 28 get a £7000 tax break.
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