After the pandemic, fewer and fewer millennials wanted to have kids or decided to delay having children. Gen Z however, has been against having children more than any other generation for a long time. Studies show that one in eight 24 year olds have already decided that they never want to have children and another 30 % say they don't have kids but may want them one day. The desire for children has seen a substantial decrease over the past few decades.
What has been causing more recent generations to desire kids less and less? The answer is a combination of different reasons. For starters, younger generations are more likely to care about the environment and its effects on our future generations. Gen Z is especially worried about what will become of our planet by the time they are in their 30s and 40s and are concerned about bringing a child into a world where living conditions could rapidly decrease.
Another reason that is contributing to the decreasing desire to have children is an increased awareness about the struggle for financial security. Many long term couples, especially after the pandemic have realized how difficult it is to become financially secure on their own let alone with the addition of a potential child. An article from The Guardian states that
The research found that double the number of men than women across all age groups said they were considering not having children so they could retire early, while those working in the arts and culture sectors were more likely to say they would consider it than any other profession.
Financial insecurity and the desire to retire early has definitely contributed to the lack of a desire to have children because younger generations are also experiencing hight costs of living than in the past and want more financial freedom.
Besides these two major reasons, the lifestyle changes in younger generations decreasingly value marriage and kids as a goal in life or a necessity. Many couples are perfectly content with dating their significant other well into their 30s and even after marriage waiting many years before deciding to or to not have kids. How this will impact divorce rates and happiness levels amongst Gen Z will be extremly perplexing as the generation gets older.
This is a very interesting post, and I definitely agree with all of the reasons you've cited because I have heard my friends use these same reasons for why they are hesitant to have children. Another reason I've heard a lot is that people are anxious that they will be inadequate parents. Recently, there is a lot of discourse surrounding mental health, and with that comes candid conversations about how one's upbringing has negatively impacted mental health in adulthood. I've often heard friends say that they are worried they will do something wrong when raising their children that could leave long lasting scars on their children. I think this is an interesting point to raise, and while no one is…
Very interesting blog post! I never knew there was studies that show the lack of desire of Gen Z's to have children, but I am not surprised by this. I think this generation of people often focus on other things like nature and technology, and the idea of having a family is becoming less important.
Great post! I think that your points are extremely valid and there are a myriad of reasons why Gen Z doesn't want kids. You touched on many an important point such as the environment and economic benefit. Another point that you touched on that I would like to expand upon is 'waiting longer for marriage.' I think that much of this desire to wait is due to the ever-present 'hookup culture' that is so prominent in the lives of young people, making them want to wait longer to settle down with a longterm partner.