The survey findings reveal that nearly half of American adults under the age of 50 are indicating a reluctance to have children, with a significant factor being a lack of desire to do so, as per a recent report from the Pew Research Center. This trend coincides with the ongoing decline in the total fertility rate in the United States, which has fallen to record lows.
The report, published on July 25, shows that 47 percent of childless adults under 50 expressed that they are unlikely to have children, marking an increase from 37 percent in 2018. Pew has been tracking these trends over the past decade to understand the reasons behind the decrease in childbirth among Americans compared to previous generations.
The primary reason cited by individuals under 50 for not wanting children is simply a lack of desire, with 57 percent indicating this as their main motivation. Other popular reasons include prioritizing other aspects of life such as career advancement, concerns about the state of the world, and financial constraints. A smaller percentage mentioned issues like infertility or medical conditions as barriers to having children.
For those over 50 who never had children, the top response was that it just never happened, followed by not finding the right partner for parenthood and a lack of desire to have children. The survey results also reveal differences in responses between men and women, with women more likely to express a lack of desire for children and feeling societal pressure to become parents.
The survey, conducted last year, included 770 adults under 50 and 2,542 childless adults aged 50 and older. The margin of error for the older group was plus or minus 5.3 percentage points, while for the younger group, it was plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.
In 2023, the number of births in the United States decreased by approximately 76,000 compared to the previous year, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national birth rate has been steadily declining by 2 percent annually from 2014 to 2020.
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