Pope Francis commented on how expensive raising children in Italy is right now. 

Pope Francis commented on how expensive raising children in Italy is right now. Speaking at a conference on demography, the Catholic Pope described starting a family today as a “titanic effort,” blaming economic uncertainty and the high cost of living. Italy is not an isolated case in Western Europe: earlier this year France experienced its lowest childbirth year on record, and Millennial parents in the U.K. are fuelling the “one and done” trend. YPulse’s data shows that 58% of Millennial parents agree with the statement “I underestimated how much it costs to raise children.” (Reuters)