Posted on 06/13/2025 10:14:18 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A new survey by the UN Population Fund shows that the most common reasons people name for not having more children are financial in nature.
As Statista's Katharina Buchholz reports, among 14 countries surveyed, respondents named financial limitations or job instability as the most common reasons to have fewer children than they desired in all.
Commonly, financial reasons, also including housing and childcare costs, made up the top 2 or even top 3 of the issues most often cited for lower fertility, for example in India, Indonesia, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Hungary and Germany.
You will find more infographics at Statista
In South Korea, the country with the lowest fertility rate in the world, many respondents agreed that the cost of childrearing was prohibitive.
In developing countries, common and mostly financial reasons for limiting family size were shared among a large number of respondents, while in developed countries, these barriers were perceived as somewhat lower but still affecting many.
In Sweden, only 19 percent named financial limitations - still the most common answer. This was followed by lack of a suitable partners and infertility/problems conceiving.
Lack of a partners or the partner wanting fewer children was more commonly found among the top 3 reasons to have fewer children in the Western world, even though it was also the third-most cited issue in South Africa. Brazil's top 3 reasons was concern about the social and political situation in the future, while in Morocco, this rank was occupied by chronic health conditions or poor health in general.
You’re asking me if I would rather do anything else than have a conversation with you.
But what if I like you?
“The Most Common Reasons Not To Have Kids Are Financial”
CORRECTION: “The Most Common EXCUSES Not To Have Kids Are Financial”
But it’s funny - if you take away women’s lib, and give women the choice of ONLY being a secretary, school teacher, nurse, or staying at home - you get more kids, lots more kids.
Funny how that works!
People liking each other is what leads to having children in the first place.
“Financial issues don’t stop the invaders from breeding out of control.”
EXACTLY, which proves that what people claim in these surveys is due to them being ashamed of their REAL REASON - which, of course, is selfishness (in the vast majority of cases for high-income countries).
A 2000 sq ft existing home in my neck of the woods, NOT a McMansion, can have a $5000 and up annual property tax bill.
How many young families can afford that?!
Or can afford to have one parent stay home with a financial burden like that in addition to all the other expenses.
Deep State knows damn well what it’s doing.
And it’s with malice aforethought.
>>some are accomplishments, and some are just things. Some bumps in the road along the way, but life is good.
Think that’s called Life. That’s what makes people so exciting. Each one has had a unique set of experiences that they can share and help us understand beyond the limitations of our own experiences. There isn’t a person alive who hasn’t had that mix of ups and downs. What makes us grow is when we learn from our own experiences and those of people with whom we come in contact. Every person we meet is our potential teacher of how to meet our personal challenges and how to overcome them. We need to applaud one another and be ready to support and care about the larger family we create in Friendship.
So very glad your hubby found you. What wonderful luck for you both.
I was being molested as a minor by an older man, got pregnant and had an abortion because my parents were strict religious and could NOT know. Was told it was a blob of cells. To answer your question yes, a million times. It hurts deep to the core and never fully goes away. I hope that helps to assuage the feelings of the self righteous who may read this (not saying you’re one of them because I don’t know you.)
Bob, see my reply #65.
I would give 10% of my savings account to have one week with the kids from 2007, both little kids, soccer, playing in the yard, battles at bathtime. I miss those days more than any others of my 68 years.
Yes; I love being an aunt! My nephew told me not long ago that I’m a “closet mother”. LOL!
Also loved the cats we’ve had for the last 30+ years. Now down to two and we’ll have no more.
>>$5000 and up annual property tax bill. How many young families can afford that?! Or can afford to have one parent stay home with a financial burden like that in addition to all the other expenses. Deep State knows damn well what it’s doing.
Your points are excellently made and expressed.
Our environment is determined external to us. We didn’t choose to be born and live life during the stable 50’s or turbulent 60’s or wild and wooly 70’s, or whenever. We are thrown into a whirlwind created by the current political climate and all we can do is the best possible to manage in the environment we’re given.
My family was able to buy a house by scrimping and saving and me wearing the same pair of jeans for years. The house was small. It was far from work. But we made it into the real estate market. None of my niece’s children are able to do that in today’s economy. We weren’t better than they are now. We were in a different economic environment, as you pointed out so well.
Your insight is part of what I love about FR. You stop me and make me think from a different direction. Thank you.
I take for granted that each of us is a mix of pride and regret. Hope that your pride is button-bursting. Cheering for each of us on FR every day.
You’re welcome, mairdie.
“What makes us grow is when we learn from our own experiences and those of people with whom we come in contact.”
Or when your own not-great experiences provide a cautionary tale as a learning experience for friends and family. My sister has learned from some of my “downs” - LOL!
“Bob, see my reply #65.”
I cannot speak for every case and obviously I don’t know your case. But I do know what people make where I work and what it costs to live here in Texas - and those people are choosing big houses over big (or even medium-sized) families. Just the stats over the past 40 years or so prove that out - the square footage per kid is now at least doubled...never should have happened.
Know what you mean. We’ve had many cats in our lives, most at a time was 5. Now we have 2 older dogs and one is coughing with an enlarged heart that breaks mine. As we got older, the dogs got smaller so we could pick them up and run to a vet. But now we’re EVEN older and I worry how many years we’ll be able to drive ourselves. It’s difficult to balance the need for warm fur with the responsibilities of caring for them. Hope yours stay safe and healthy for many, many more years.
Another great insight. Not only to recognize the teachers we learn from, but the opportunities we have to become teachers ourselves. Isn’t FR the niftiest place?
We had eight cats at one time — rescued a feral family of five, added to the three we had. Thank heaven we have a “Planned Pethood” in the area that offers super-cheap spay and neuter, and shots. They went straight from the live traps to the vet, then home with us — 100% inside.
We lost Lilly a couple weeks ago, and two remain.
My niece also is a cat lover and she and her husband have agreed to adopt any pets that might be left behind when we “go”. She is officially in our Will, along with $$$.
Re driving ourselves to the vet and such, I am not as opposed to self-driving cars as many here are. It opens many possibilities and opportunities for a better life during the “Golden Years” (what a misnomer!).
My deepest sympathies on Lilly. Infuriating that such massive sources of love have such short lifetimes. Sending virtual cuddles to your two. Hoping they aren’t pup-contaminated cuddles. But I think going thru network ether cleans them well.
A neighborhood with small medium homes = riff raff and crime. Uneducated people and poor schools.
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