why do starving people in third world countries continue to have children when they know they will most likely?

Because according to evolution and religions, the whole purpose of existing is to procreate. The idea of voluntarily not having children for financial reasons is a modern social construct. Also, most people do not die of starvation, so the idea is that they have kids with the hopes that they will be one of the ones that don't starve. Humans have been having kids for thousands of years without having rich economies and good hospitals.

There are studies on a certain breed of jelly fish that span when threatened. The fisher men that are trying to kill these things off are just ensuring their greater population. Maybe that is the same for the human condition. The harder things get, the more kids people have. It ensures not only the human population but it also makes life easier on the pro-creators, giving them many hands to do the work necessary to survive in harsh environments. If their is disease and famine, the only logical way to ensure your blood line is to make as many children as time and circumstance permit. I often wonder what makes people starve other people. And why would someone get to the top if only to have a better view of suffering and despair around them. Fear does funny things. Sex is a comfort, children are a comfort, and the lack of education is more apparent in your question than in any of the third world countries.

Starving people don't have children, they are too weak from hunger. When you see starving people with children it is because they had the children before the crops failed.

They have children because (a) they have no access to birth control and (b) they live in countries with no welfare system to look after them in old age. The only way to ensure you have someone to take care of you when you can no longer work for a living is to have children.

Edit:

You seem to think that everyone in the developing world is close to starvation and lives in shacks with no walls. Actually most people in most of the developing world get by just fine, most of the time, it's just that a story like "Nobody starving in Zambia!" wouldn't make it into the evening news bulletin.

People who think like you, are the main reason eugenics happens in third world countries and no one objects or says anything about it here in Amerikka land of the ignorant.

Rape

you can only find answer to such questions by visiting one of those countries.....turns out...when pocket is empty god comes really handy and is the best friend....you can do anything with that name attached....notice all these shithole countries....will have a prominent religion or no atheists.....

so its gods gift...keep on accepting them...and if god does the miracle to make babies he will take care of the food...

in india i saw one family of extremely poor tattered homeless 4 year old girl 6 year old boy and their parents....there was so much of love and bonding between them....i was surprised...they dont even have nothing to wear and yet they are happy???

turns out the entire family was professional "beggar inc." they were running a co-operative society of begging....and training kids who cant even speak properly to beg....

they were acting as if their face was maced up with lava ...and the moment one beggar kid saw my girlfriend getting bit "emo" for the poverty.....they all started acting even more..squinting..twisting and turning his limbs...trying to portray..an unfortunate retarded....crippled child......

so i postulated a theory....and said unto my indian friend...who returned from leeds after his engineering masters....that...if illiterate...and poor people dont understand...the population crisis you are having here....atleast....the educated ones should take initiative....and not have children...or rather adopt orphans....untill the population crisis is taken care off......but even he wanted to ********...and produce children...he said...how will my generation go on about??......what will i answer to my parents...who put so much of money and sent me to UK??

so basically these people..want to leave landmarks....as the sign of achievement....they dont care..how much pressure it puts on govt..and civics...they just want to keep producing....even if one dies...they can always replace it...and forget the count

Ignorance.

if they can't afford food they can't afford condoms or entertainment... so their entertainment is sex and then of course there's a pregnancy due to the lack of condoms...

more children=more workers=more money

@Ryan Well said.