Decades ago, becoming a parent was almost an expectation. Today, some American politicians are criticizing women who choose not to have children. It’s important to recognize that remaining child-free isn’t unique to American women. Over the past 50 years, birth rates worldwide including in China, Japan, Europe, and the United States have been falling significantly. A 2020 study covering data from almost 200 countries found that the average number of children per woman fell from 4.7 in 1950 to 2.4 in 2017. This shift hasn’t gone unnoticed, but finding a complete explanation remains challenging. Some researchers suggest environmental factors, such as chemicals that can reduce sperm count and motility, may play a role. Consistent with this idea, around 20% of Americans who want to become parents are experiencing infertility issues.
Many recent surveys have found that a range of psychological and social factors are also at play.
A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that about one-third of young adults of childbearing age (18-34 years) are uncertain about wanting children, and approximately 20% have already decided against it. This reflects a rise from 2018 to 2021 in the percentage of people under 50 without children who said they were "not very likely" or "not likely at all" to have kids, increasing from 16% to 21% and 21% to 23%, respectively. Economic realities also play a crucial role. High mortgage rates and fewer high paying middle class jobs make it harder to move out of their parents' homes and buy a first house. Financial concerns often lead women to delay the decision to have children until they feel financially secure sometimes until their biological clocks have advanced too far.
In most developed countries today, women have more options beyond motherhood and often choose lifestyles that align better with their interests and goals. Studies also indicate that environmental and political issues factor into this decision.
A meta analysis found that worries about the effects of climate change significantly impacted the desire to have children. Globally, 39% of young adults reported feeling uncertain about having kids due to concerns about how climate change might affect their children’s quality of life in the future. This contrasts with past generations, who felt that raising children contributed to the continued success of society. Environmental scientists caution that our children could face severe climate challenges within the next 50 to 75 years.
In many countries, including the United States, there is limited support for working parents. Paid parental leave is often unavailable, and childcare can be expensive or hard to access. As a result, working mothers face more stress and report lower life and relationship satisfaction. Only about one-third of married mothers report high relationship satisfaction, compared to around two thirds of married women without children.
Do women regret being child-free as they get older? A recent study from Michigan State University found that about 20% of adults in Michigan are child free by choice. The study found no evidence that older child-free adults experienced higher levels of regret compared to older adults who were parents. This aligns with studies from other developed countries, where roughly five to 15 percent of parents say they wish they had chosen to be child-free. The reasons for this level of dissatisfaction were not specified.
In the United States, recent restrictions on reproductive rights have further complicated a woman’s choice to have children. Depending on which state a woman lives in, unintended pregnancies can carry potentially serious consequences. This is no small matter, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned. Pregnancy has always carried some risks; today, those risks are heightened by new laws. Some states allow exceptions for cases of assault or incest, essentially giving a woman the right to make choices about her body only after she has endured trauma.
Society now faces two major challenges: the impact of climate change on our ability to adapt and survive, and a significant decline in the number of people to sustain the population.