- The US birth rate hit an all-time low in 2023, down 3% from 2022.
- A new report from the Pew Research Center offers insight into why some Americans are choosing not to have children.
- More than half of adults under age 50 who are unlikely to have children say they simply don’t want to have children.
The US birth rate hit an all-time low in 2023, but a new study may explain why.
in report A Pew Research Center survey released Thursday found that 47% of Americans under 50 say they’re unlikely to have children, up 10 points from 2018. Of those under 50 who said they’re unlikely to have children, 57% said they simply don’t want to have children.
The Pew Research Center report is based on a survey of 2,542 people age 50 and older conducted between April 29 and May 19. The Pew Research Center surveyed childless Americans over the age of 50, as well as Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 who don’t have children but say they’re unlikely to have children in the future.
64% of childless women and 50% of men under 50 cited “simply not wanting to” as the main reason they don’t want to have children.
this is The U.S. birth rate has hit an all-time low. According to a press release issued by the CDC on April 25, the birth rate has fallen by 3% between 2022 and 2023. From 2014 to 2020, the birth rate fell by 2% each year, according to the CDC.
Meanwhile, 36% of childless Americans under 50 said they can’t afford to have children, and 26% cited environmental concerns as their main reason for not having children.
Childless Americans under 50 are nearly four times more likely to cite environmental concerns as their main reason for not having children than childless Americans over 50.
Americans without children say they spend more time at work
Many childfree Americans told Pew Research Center that the decision allows them to focus more on their work, save money and have more time for a social life.
Four in five Americans under 50 say not having children makes it easier for them to have time for hobbies and interests, and 61% say not having children makes it easier for them to be successful in their careers.
Americans under 50 were more likely than those over 50 to cite concerns about world affairs, financial limitations, and a desire to focus on other things as reasons for not having children.
Business Insider reported on the rise of DINKs, dual-income, childless households, who told BI that being child-free has given them financial stability and the ability to travel.
“Deciding not to have children and instead focusing on our interests, aspirations, and what we want out of life has given us a little bit more freedom to take advantage of the world now, instead of waiting until our kids are grown or we’re retired — if we ever retire,” Nicole Valdes, 37, publishing and public relations manager at DINKWAD (Double Income, No Kids, With Dog), previously told Business Insider.
Are you choosing not to have children and are you comfortable talking about why? This reporter would love to hear from you. [email protected].