In the past, a childfree lifestyle was often a political decision for many couples. During the 1950s and 1960s, many couples chose this because they feared a nuclear holocaust. By the 1970s, the issue of overpopulation became the motivating factor for the choice. For example, research at Cornell University recently concluded that the world's population must be reduced from its estimated 6 billion to roughly 2 billion by the year 2100. However, population predictions for that year, given current fertility trends, are for roughly 15 billion.
Overpopulation is also a major factor in gender inequity, according to many sources.
Where there's high birth rates and high poverty rates, the economic value of female children goes down. Yet by the 1980s, childfree living became a symbol of infertility and failure, a symbol that has prevailed into the 1990s. This is a pity, considering what a liberating lifestyle option it can be. Obviously, you'll need to review your original reasons for wanting children before you make this choice. Interview couples with children and find out how much of their own lives are sacrificed.