More Americans Not Planning to Have Kids, Poll Finds

Nov. 22, 2021 — More U.S. adults who don’t have already got youngsters are saying they don’t plan to have any sooner or later, based on a brand new survey by the Pew Research Center.

Birthrates dropped within the U.S. in the course of the pandemic, marking a decline for the sixth yr in a row. Fertility charges within the U.S. had been already at a document low earlier than the pandemic, the middle reported.

As a part of the ballot, non-parents ages 18-49 answered the query, “Thinking about the future, how likely is it that you will have children someday?”

About 44% stated it’s “not too likely” or “not at all likely” that they may have youngsters sometime, which is up 7 share factors from the 37% who stated the identical in a 2018 Pew survey. What’s extra, 74% of adults beneath 50 who’re mother and father stated they aren’t prone to have extra youngsters.

By distinction, 26% of childless adults stated it’s “very likely” they may have youngsters, which is down from 32% in 2018. About 29% stated “somewhat likely” each this yr and in 2018.

Among mother and father and non-parents, women and men had been equally prone to say they in all probability gained’t have youngsters sooner or later. Adults of their 40s had been extra prone to say they wouldn’t have youngsters.

When requested for a purpose, 56% of non-parents stated they merely don’t wish to have youngsters. Childless adults beneath age 40 had been extra prone to say this than these ages 40-49. There had been no variations between women and men.

Beyond that, 43% cited causes comparable to medical points, financial or monetary considerations, and never having a associate. A smaller variety of individuals cited their age or their associate’s age, the “state of the world,” environmental considerations, and local weather change.

Parents additionally cited medical points and monetary considerations as the highest the explanation why they in all probability wouldn’t have extra youngsters. Mothers had been extra prone to point out medical points, and fathers had been extra prone to cite already having youngsters. About 26% of oldsters beneath age 40 cited monetary considerations.

The ballot factors to long-term traits in parenthood within the U.S., based on The Washington Post. In April, the Census Bureau reported that within the final decade, the U.S. inhabitants grew on the second-slowest fee for any 10-year interval for the reason that nation was based.

Other latest surveys have pointed to the prices of childcare, well being care, and training as causes to postpone or not have youngsters, the newspaper reported. Global instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, and local weather change have additionally led to altering attitudes about marriage, youngsters, and life priorities.