Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Reproducing in cities.

Ruth Mace1

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University College London, Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, UK. r.mace@ucl.ac.uk

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 9, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Urban living increases child-rearing costs, historically lowering birth rates. This trend, driven by parental investment, continues to decrease fertility globally, especially in postindustrial societies.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Kin Selection Underpins Family Dynamics in Rural China.

Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

EHS editorial 2025.

Evolutionary human sciences·2026
Same author

Prevalence of mental health in relation to religious practices in a contemporary small-scale older Amdo Tibetans.

PLOS mental health·2026
Same author

Discrepancies in Self-reporting of Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan : Concealment or misperception?

Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Skewed sex ratios and violence against women in Pakistan.

Evolutionary human sciences·2025
Same author

Ancient DNA reveals a two-clanned matrilineal community in Neolithic China.

Nature·2025
Same journal

Erratum for the Research Article "Detecting supramolecular organic nanoparticles during heat wave".

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Local signals, systemic decline.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

The mechanics of liver regeneration.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Computing in a memory with physics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Retraction.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Making time.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Demography
  • Urban Studies
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Historically, urban environments presented higher costs for reproduction, leading to lower fertility rates compared to rural areas.
  • Declining infant mortality, particularly in late 19th-century Europe, correlated with a significant drop in birth rates.
  • Recent dramatic fertility declines observed in African cities indicate a global demographic shift.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the role of increasing child-rearing costs in global fertility decline.
  • To explore the evolutionary demographic perspective on reproductive strategies in urban settings.
  • To examine the impact of reduced mortality and increased parental investment on fertility trends in postindustrial societies.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of historical and contemporary fertility data across urban and rural populations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Review of evolutionary demographic theories on parental investment and reproductive success.
  • Examination of socio-economic factors influencing child-rearing costs and fertility decisions.

    • Main Results:

    • Urbanization is consistently associated with higher costs of reproduction and lower fertility rates.
    • Decreased mortality and increased parental investment appear to drive down birth rates, particularly in developed nations.
    • Fertility decline is a recent but rapid phenomenon in some African urban centers.

    Conclusions:

    • The rising costs of child-rearing in urban areas are a primary driver of global fertility decline.
    • Societies free from high mortality risks may experience escalating parental investment, leading to sustained reductions in birth rates.
    • Understanding these demographic shifts is crucial for future population studies and policy-making.