It's tough to pin it on any one factor, but debasement of money is a strong contender imo. People aren't confident in their money, not their ability to provide for a family with the current situation. Many people put income or savings thresholds or levels at which they would do certain things, for example, get married, buy a house, have a child etc. The thresholds may be psychological, but the pain of delaying a decision like this is real.