There is information about changes in the total fertility rate in Western countries from the 18th century to the mid-20th century that will be discussed in this fertility article| fertility rate document. A decreasing trend in TFR is observed in all countries. TFRs were around 5 in these countries (such as Sweden, England and Wales) during the pre-industrial period. By the early 20th century, the TFR would have fallen to around 2.5 or even 2. However it was still above 3 in Spain and Italy. There was a slight increase in the TFR in Australia and three other countries, while it continued to decline in other countries in 1925. By 1925, the TFR fell to about 2. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay During the pre-industrial period (also known as phase 1 of the demographic transition model), all countries shared the same characteristic of a high TFR and a high total mortality rate. Going back to that time, “a high 'total fertility rate' is often the response to a high mortality rate as a country tries to reach or maintain a replacement level.” People need to maintain the population to keep it from dying out, so they gave birth to as many babies as possible to replace themselves. The economy was mainly dependent on the agricultural sector. “A larger family meant a larger workforce” because agricultural production required only unskilled manual labor. Thus, the TFR was around 5 between the mid-18th century and the mid-19th century in almost all countries. However, during the period 1803-1815, “France lost approximately 1.4 million men in the Napoleonic Wars,” causing a huge imbalance in the sex ratio. The dead men were usually young and constituted the main reproductive force. The imbalance in the sex ratio also caused the increase in the number of never-married women which further reduced the TFR to less than 4. After the industrial revolution, the TFR was still relatively high around 3.5 except France ( approximately 2.5), but has decreased compared to the pre-industrial period. period. First, as CDR has decreased and the costs of raising children have increased, parents have considered the number of children they need to give birth to to maximize their benefits in the countryside. They must manage the costs of raising children and the benefits they can gain in the future. “As more education brought higher returns, parents were led to invest in higher quality per child and reduce the number of children to make this possible.” Furthermore, in urban areas, the middle classes think, "too many children jeopardize the rather high standard of living", so they lower the TFR to keep the standard of living high. Second, as the level of education has increased, the average age at first marriage has increased. Fertility for women is set between 15 and 49 years. The later women marry, the fewer children they can give birth to. Third, the spread of cheap contraceptives and breastfeeding also contribute to reducing TFR. Breastfeeding was generally accepted by women, but it can cause lactation amenorrhea which further reduces fecundity. After the First World War, with the huge casualties and economic crisis, people turned their attention to the development of the economy. With the economic boom and rising living standards, TFR increased slightly in some countries (such as Sweden, France, etc.) to replace the population lost during the war. In the period 1929-1933, the Great Depression began in America and quickly separated itself from the rest of the world. The decrease.