معاونت پژوهشی دانشگاه تبریز Journal of Economic & Developmental Sociology 2322-4371 13 2 2025 02 19 Children as an Economic Cost, A Qualitative Exploration of the Economic Contexts of Childlessness in Isfahan Children as an Economic Cost, A Qualitative Exploration of the Economic Contexts of Childlessness in Isfahan 259 287 19861 10.22034/jeds.2025.65617.1845 FA Sahar Rezaei PhD student of social problems of Iran, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran. Ali Ruhani Associate Professor of sociology at Yazd University, Yazd, Iran. Abbas Askari Nodushan Professor of demography at Yazd University , Yazd, Iran Malihe Alimondegari Associate professor of demography at Yazd University. Yazd, Iran Journal Article 2025 01 25 In recent years, fertility decline in Iran and its potential effects and consequences have been the focus of policymakers. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of economic costs in couples' perceptions of childbearing and ultimately in directing their decisions towards childlessness. The data collected by semi-structured interviews, and the data analysis was conducted using open, axial, and selective coding. The main categories of the research include the issue inflation, income insufficiency, skyrocketing rents, job instability, dissatisfaction with the current situation, economic instability, an atmosphere of persistent uncertainty, perfectionism in meeting the needs of children, fear of the economic challenges of having children, children as an expense, skyrocketing living costs, and economic conditions of childlessness process. The core category extracted from the main categories of "children in the sense of cost, economic conditions of childlessness process" was constructed. Economy, culture, and belief are the main foundations for encouraging families to have children, which, if provided satisfactorily, will reproduce and maintain the social mechanisms of reproduction and survival of society. The research findings show that the desired number of children of couples is affected by their living and economic conditions, and increasing the fertility rate is dependent on making changes in economic and social structures. It is obvious that this article does not claim to reduce economic costs to be the sole cause of childlessness. This is because childlessness behavior has multiple social, cultural, and psychological dimensions, and the scope of influence of these dimensions and factors can vary greatly among different groups and social strata. Another additional complexity of behavioral decisions in the field of childbearing is that the desires, perspectives, and limitations of at least two people (husband and wife) are effective in shaping it. In recent years, fertility decline in Iran and its potential effects and consequences have been the focus of policymakers. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of economic costs in couples' perceptions of childbearing and ultimately in directing their decisions towards childlessness. The data collected by semi-structured interviews, and the data analysis was conducted using open, axial, and selective coding. The main categories of the research include the issue inflation, income insufficiency, skyrocketing rents, job instability, dissatisfaction with the current situation, economic instability, an atmosphere of persistent uncertainty, perfectionism in meeting the needs of children, fear of the economic challenges of having children, children as an expense, skyrocketing living costs, and economic conditions of childlessness process. The core category extracted from the main categories of "children in the sense of cost, economic conditions of childlessness process" was constructed. Economy, culture, and belief are the main foundations for encouraging families to have children, which, if provided satisfactorily, will reproduce and maintain the social mechanisms of reproduction and survival of society. The research findings show that the desired number of children of couples is affected by their living and economic conditions, and increasing the fertility rate is dependent on making changes in economic and social structures. It is obvious that this article does not claim to reduce economic costs to be the sole cause of childlessness. This is because childlessness behavior has multiple social, cultural, and psychological dimensions, and the scope of influence of these dimensions and factors can vary greatly among different groups and social strata. Another additional complexity of behavioral decisions in the field of childbearing is that the desires, perspectives, and limitations of at least two people (husband and wife) are effective in shaping it. https://sociology.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_19861_5f461fb8bb4b21a77b70fe02e84dd314.pdf