The trend of having children has gradually declined in America over the last few decades. In 2023, the average number of children per family was 1.94, down from 2.33 in 1960.
A recent Pew Research Center survey conducted from April 29 to May 19, 2024, with 2,542 adults over 50 and 770 adults under 50, provides insights into this trend. The survey examined reasons for not having children, the impacts of this decision, and both positive and negative outcomes. Based on the study and our research, here are the top observations about Americans choosing not to have children.
Number of Adults Unlikely to Have Kids
In 2023, around 47% of American adults under 50 reported being not too or not at all likely to have children, an increase from 37% in 2018. This ten percentage point rise over five years is attributed significantly to the pandemic, which led to severe health and financial crises, lowering birth rates. Additionally, there is a generational shift, with millennials often choosing to avoid following traditional family setups.
Top Reasons for Not Having Kids
Many Americans do not have kids because they do not want to. Of the 44% of people aged 18-49 who are unlikely to have children at any point, 56% have stated their unwillingness is the reason.
Another primary reason is the anxiety of not being able to provide a quality life, as highlighted by The Washington Post in 2023. According to their report, 78% of Americans are not confident that their future generations will achieve a life better than theirs. Other reasons include climate change, economic instability, and medical and financial reasons.
The Idea of Having Children in Older Adults
While the millennials are pretty logical about why they do not have kids, it is a bit different with older adults. Around 38% of Americans aged 50 or more and without kids said they wanted to have kids at some point. On the other hand, 32% of the respondents were entirely sure they had no plans for starting a biological family. Overall, 23% of Americans aged 50-59 have never had a biological child.
People without Children Having Better Financial Prospects
A significant portion of the respondents felt that having no kids keeps their finances more sorted. A substantial financial liability comes with child-rearing, education, and medical costs. The average price of putting a child through preschool is as massive as $6329, as per a Statista analysis. The absence of child-related expenses allows more savings, so around 75% of non-parent adults under 50 prefer it that way. Older adults without kids have better retirement savings and net worth than parents.
Women Tending to Focus More on Career than Gendered Roles
Balancing professional and family lives has been an eternal challenge for American working adults, especially women. In around 50% of American households, women have to take up the responsibility of taking care of the child daily. In 2023, 75.54 million women were employed in the USA, reaching a peak of employment. Therefore, it is understandable why 34% of American women, majorly college-educated women, do not want to have kids.
Better Opportunities at Work without Kids
Overall, 61% of non-parents Americans (aged 18-49) feel they can succeed well in other things, including their careers, without the responsibility of children. Around 44% of adults aged more than 50 have a similar feeling. About 45% of people under 50 felt they had better opportunities in professional spheres and the means to achieve them without worrying about kids. Contrastingly, a third in each responding group stated they had less flexibility and more work pressure than people with a full-fledged family.
Prioritizing Hobbies and Interests without Children’s Responsibility
A probable reason younger people don’t want to have kids is their unwillingness to compromise with their social lives. 80% of the younger respondents said they had more time to invest in hobbies and extracurricular interests, while 57% of the older group stated the same.
The Importance of the Right Partner for Having Kids
33% of people over 50 stated that they could not find the right partner as their primary reason for not having kids. A handful of respondents also expressed the reason for not having kids as their partner’s unwillingness. In America, the number of married households with children has declined since the ‘60s. In 2017, only 19% of married couples in America were parents.
The Uncertainty of Providing Proper Care for the Child
The director of the Carolina Population Center, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, stated that the country’s unstable child-care system, lack of paid family leave, and inadequate sick leave are some of the most concerning things to consider before having children. Moreover, the shortage of well-paid jobs, the high cost of living, and soaring housing prices also contribute to the lack of confidence about having children.
The Negative Impacts of Not Having Children
While the reasons for not having children are pretty profound, there are specific negative impacts of the situation as well. As expressed by 46% of the respondents over 50 years, the constant worry of financial uncertainty in old age troubles them. Not having somebody who can care for them in the future is another anxiety the non-parents Americans deal with.
Societal and Relationship Dynamics of People Without Kids
About 24% of American couples, both married and non-married, stated that the decision of not having a kid had a great impact on their relationship. Societal and familial pressures play a major role in influencing the decision to have kids, as discussed by the older respondents of the survey. Around 42% of women in that age group have agreed that they have been pressured at some point to become mothers.
Interestingly, people without biological kids (around 65%) form better relationships with their nieces or nephews. It can also be observed that people who don’t have children have proximity to their parents and can provide better care. However, caring for the parents is not a primary reason for not having kids.