As countries have developed there has been a trend towards smaller family sizes.

Why does this happen?

How does this affect society?

Many countries around the world are becoming richer as they develop and at the same time these countries are seeing a reduction in the size of the family unit. This essay will discuss the reasons for this phenomenon and examine some of the possible effects it will have on society.

世界上许多国家在发展的同时变得越来越富有，同时这些国家的家庭单位也在减少。这篇文章将讨论这种现象的原因，并检查它可能对社会产生的一些影响。

One of the principal reasons for smaller family units is birth control. As a country develops and becomes richer, birth control becomes more readily available. This may be due to a rise in the number of medical clinics or the distribution of free contraception. The result of this is that people can choose family size. Another important factor is the rise in the levels of education that occur as a country develops, which means that women are more educated and more likely to be working. Consequently, many will want to delay having children and so will likely have fewer in the long-term.

家庭规模缩小的主要原因之一是计划生育。随着一个国家的发展和富裕，计划生育变得更加容易。这可能是由于诊所数量的增加或免费避孕的分布。结果是人们可以选择家庭规模。另一个重要因素是随着国家的发展教育水平的提高，这意味着妇女受教育程度更高，更有可能工作。因此，许多人想要推迟生孩子，因此从长远来看可能会更少。

This can impact on society in a number of ways. One positive effect is that the population will fall, which will likely result in less poverty as there will be less competition for scarce resources. The parents can also provide a better education to their children as it will cost less, which will benefit society as a whole. A possible negative impact is that there will be fewer younger people in the workforce in the future, thus making the sustainability of future economic growth less certain.

这可以在很多方面对社会产生影响。一个积极的影响是人口将会减少，这可能会减少贫穷，因为对稀少资源的竞争将会减少。父母也可以为他们的孩子提供更好的教育，因为它将花费更少，这将有利于整个社会。一个可能的负面影响是，未来劳动力中的年轻人将会越来越少，从而使未来经济增长的可持续性变得不那么确定。

In conclusion, family size has fallen due to birth control and education, and this can have positive and negative impacts on society. Regardless of any impacts, this trend is likely to continue as countries around the world develop and become wealthier.

综上所述，由于计划生育和教育，家庭规模已经下降，这可能对社会产生积极和消极的影响。不管有什么影响，随着世界各国的发展和变得更加富裕，这种趋势可能会继续下去。

(281 words)