One in five people say they haven’t had or expect they won’t have their desired number of children, according to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The report sees the agency take its strongest line yet on falling fertility rates, warning that rates are in “unprecedented decline” and that millions of people are not able to have the number of children they want. They point to factors including the lack of a suitable partner and the cost of parenthood.
According to the UN, most people already want to have children, and many more want more children than they are able to have. This is true “everywhere we look,” even in the lowest fertility countries,” the report notes.
“The world has begun an unprecedented decline in fertility rates,” said Dr Natalia Kanem, head of UNFPA.
“Most people surveyed want two or more children. Fertility rates are falling in large part because many feel unable to create the families they want. And that is the real crisis,” she added.
14,000 people were surveyed across 14 countries for the study. The countries are collectively home to around 37 per cent of the global population, according to the UN, and include South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, US, India, Indonesia, Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria. UNFPA said it found that alarmingly high proportions of adults, both men and women, were unable to realise their fertility intentions.
It notes: ”Millions of people around the world are unable to have the number of children they want – whether they want more, fewer, or none at all,” according to the survey.
“Recently, fertility declines are making headlines, with women all too often blamed for these demographic shifts. Some governments are employing drastic measures to incentivize young people to make fertility decisions in line with national targets.”
1 in 5 of those surveyed said fears about the future, such as climate change, environmental degradation, wars and pandemics, would lead or had led to them having fewer children than desired. 1 in 4 said they have felt unable to fulfil their desire for a child at their preferred time.
“Young people overwhelmingly report worries and uncertainty about their futures. Many expect to experience worse outcomes than their parents did. Their concerns about climate change, economic instability and rising global conflicts will be reflected in the choices they make about raising families,” the SWP report notes.
According to the most recent figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland’s birth rate has fallen below replacement level, with the annual birth rate having dropped 4.5% in a decade. There were 54,062 births registered in 2024, a decrease of just over 1% when compared with the 54,678 registrations in 2023, according to the yearly report published last month.
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