Per a new report by the United Nations Population Fund, (UNFPA), fertility rates are at an “unprecedented decline” worldwide, and that has experts worried.
The agency is sounding the alarm stating that hundreds of millions of people are not able to have the number of children they want. They are citing reasons such as: the prohibitive cost of parenthood and the lack of a suitable partner among the reasons for the decline in births.
UNFPA conducted a survey across 14 countries, polling 14,000 individuals about their fertility plans, according to the BBC. The findings revealed that 20% of respondents reported that they have not had, or do not anticipate having, their ideal number of children.
The countries included in the survey were: South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, India, Indonesia, Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria. Combined, these 14 countries represent approximately one-third of the global population, a mixture of low and high fertility, and a mix of all income levels.
“The world has begun an unprecedented decline in fertility rates,” Dr Natalia Kanem, head of UNFPA, told the BBC. “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.”
“Calling this a crisis, saying it’s real. That’s a shift I think,” demographer Anna Rotkirch, who has researched fertility intentions in Europe and advises the Finnish government on population policy, told the outlet. “Overall, there’s more undershooting than overshooting of fertility ideals.”
This research study serves as a pilot for a broader, more comprehensive study set to take place later this year. While its scope is limited, one clear and consistent finding emerges: financial concerns are the primary barrier preventing individuals from having more children or even starting a family altogether.
Although more research is needed, “This is the first time that [the UN] have really gone all-out on low fertility issues,” said Prof. Stuart Gietel-Basten, a demographer at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, in the interview with the BBC. As the world population continues to age, this shift in focus is crucial, highlighting the need for global attention on the social and economic challenges posed by declining fertility rates.