By the early 2000s, the average reported ideal family size among German-speaking countries has fallen to 1.7, well below the replacement level. Low levels of interest in reproduction is more pronounced among the economically advantaged, in contrast to earlier times, when wealth was correlated with fertility. At the same time, France and Scandinavia retained high fertility rates compared to other developed countries, especially Southern Europe and East Asia. At first sight, it appears that this might be due to their socially progressive values and policies, i.e. making it easier for women to pursue both their careers and reproductive dreams. However, closer scrutiny suggests the argument that "feminism is the new pro-natalism" is untenable, given that there are socially progressive countries with low fertility rates such as Austria and Canada on one hand, and more conservative and traditionalist countries with high fertility rates such as Ireland and the United States on the other.