The saying that the rich get richer while the poor get children has been widely validated in both rich and poor countries. Maybe that partly explains why, after getting on top of the economic game and relaxing the one-child-per-couple policy two decades ago, the Chinese have not rushed to produce five babies from each woman like we do in Uganda.
China is now doing 1.7 per couple, meaning 17 children per 10 couples, about the same as America, their economic rival. Luxembourg, the world’s richest nation, and Japan are at 1.3.
