Nearly one in five people globally believe they will be unable to have as many children as they would like, according to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), highlighting the growing disconnect between reproductive aspirations and real-life constraints.
The study, based on a survey of 14,000 individuals across 14 developed and developing countries — including the US, Germany, Nigeria, and Thailand — reveals that 18% of people of reproductive age expect to fall short of their desired family size. Just 38% of those aged 50 and above reported achieving their ideal number of children, while 31% said they had fewer than they had hoped for.
“Fertility rates are falling, in large part because many feel unable to create the families they want — and that is the real crisis,” said Natalia Kanem, executive director of UNFPA. “Women in particular are being unfairly blamed.”
Economic pressure was the most cited barrier, with 39% pointing to financial constraints, followed by job insecurity (21%) and housing challenges (19%). Other frequently mentioned obstacles include lack of a suitable partner, health or fertility issues, and limited access to reproductive healthcare. In some regions, such as South Africa and Nigeria, a small minority said they expected to have more children than they ideally want, often due to poor access to contraception and healthcare.
Despite declining fertility rates — now below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman in more than half of all countries — the desire for parenthood remains strong. Most respondents indicated a preference for two or three children, with 38% of women and 35% of men saying two was ideal.
Kanem emphasized that policies must shift from demographic panic to supporting reproductive choices: “The answer lies in responding to what people say they need: paid family leave, affordable fertility care, and supportive partners.”
The report adds to growing international concern about the long-term impact of falling birth rates. While some institutions, like the OECD, warn that declining fertility could threaten economic stability and exacerbate the effects of ageing populations, others argue it could open new opportunities. Economist Oded Galor, for instance, suggests that lower fertility rates paired with rising education could lead to greater long-term prosperity.
The UN’s findings align with national data. In the US, Gallup polling has shown for decades that most Americans still prefer families with two or more children, even as fertility rates continue to decline. In the UK, studies suggest only one in four millennials who want children are actively trying to conceive — held back by financial, health, or relationship barriers.
Professor Ann Berrington of the University of Southampton noted, “Whilst some individuals desire to remain child-free, the evidence suggests that many are involuntarily childless or having fewer children than they’d like, due to economic, social, and health challenges.”
With birth rates falling and pressures mounting, the UNFPA calls for global policy reforms focused on empowerment — not panic. “This is not about pushing birth rates up,” Kanem said. “It’s about enabling people to build the families they want — on their own terms.”
