「子どもさらに欲しい」過去最多　既婚男女、在宅勤務も一役―明治安田調査

　明治安田生命保険が１５日発表したアンケート調査によると、乳幼児のいる既婚男女のうち、「さらに子どもが欲しい」と答えた人の割合は３０．５％（前年２１．３％）と、調査を始めた２０１８年以降で最多となった。子育て費用は月額平均３万６２４７円（同４万６８７円）と過去最低だった。
　幼児教育・保育の無償化による経済的な負担の軽減に加え、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で在宅勤務が浸透し、「育児と仕事を両立しやすくなった」（同社）ことも一因とみられる。（2020/10/15-08:13）

A private survey showed Thursday that 30.5 pct of parents with an infant or a toddler in Japan want more babies, up from 21.3 pct a year before and the highest since the survey began in 2018.
   The result of the survey by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. seems to reflect reduced economic burdens on parents thanks to the government's program to make preschool education and care services free of charge, the company said.
   Also, people are apparently finding it easier to balance child-rearing with work because teleworking has become more common amid the coronavirus crisis, it said.
   The average monthly spending on children came to a record low of 36,247 yen, down from 40,687 yen a year before.
   The survey also showed that women want their husbands to take 94 days of paternal leave on average, while men actually took an average of only seven days off.