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How much is a baby worth?

Let's set aside for a moment all those goo-goo feeelings about that big ball of cute chubba-chubba. A baby is also an economic investment.

Businesses get a new worker and a new consumer for products. Parents get someone who will support them in their old age. Governments get a taxpayer — and a guarantee that the country lives on.

Sure, there are 7 billion people on the planet, give or take. But for a lot of countries, the problem isn't too many people; it's too few babies. In parts of Europe and Asia, couples aren't having enough babies to keep the population steady.

Some governments have responded by paying people to have kids.

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