As the rate of fertility falls, another one rises – that of childless couples. Between 2018 and 2023, the rate of those under 50 who said they do not plan to have kids rose from 37 percent to 47 percent, according to Pew Research.
Pew reported that childless adults under 50 cited several reasons for not wanting children, including “having time for hobbies, “affording things they want”, and “saving for future.” Demographer Lyman Stone of the Institute for Family Studies told Drew Mariani that much of the change is due to both the time it takes for one to find a partner and “people dealing with a range of mental health…issues.” Stone also cited socialization as a key issue driving fertility change. “In general, people of all ages are just spending less and less time with other real humans.”
Will the Trend Continue?
In the 1980s, Stone said about 75% of childless adults said they wanted kids; today “it’s maybe 70%.” However, he sees no sign of that number slowing down. “The underlying factors driving this attitude are not just the economy right now.” On Stone’s view, the question of not having kids is a question of what gives a person joy. “If your life is not full of joyful relationships with other people, then the idea of adding more humans to the world doesn’t sound to you like adding a lot of more joy.”
How to Reverse the Decline
Despite dire birthrate statistics around the globe, not a lot of countries have tried to reverse fertility trends, Stone told Drew Mariani. That might change with the new presidential administration. In late April, the New York Times reported on the Trump administration’s burgeoning efforts to create a new ‘baby boom.’ The article notes the presidential team “has been hearing out a chorus of ideas in recent weeks for persuading Americans to get married and have more children.” Some of those ideas include: a “baby bonus,” Fulbright scholarships for married couples with children, and more funding for natural fertility programs.
Late Pope Francis on Having Children
The late Pope Francis frequently exhorted families to have children. During his 2015 Apostolic visit to the United States, the Holy Father told Congress, “we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future.”
