One in three young adults do not have and do not want to have children, according to polling done by the Independent Center in association with Newsweek.
The survey found that 30 percent of Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) and millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) did not have and do not want to have any children. The results come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in April that the U.S. birthrate has dropped to an all-time low.
In comparison, 62 percent of poll respondents say they have or want to have children, according to the report. Nine percent say they are unsure.
The survey also looked at whether or not the “American dream is just a dream” for young adults. The poll found that 23 percent of young people believe having children is “irresponsible because of climate,” Newsweek wrote of the results. Sixty percent disagree, while 17 percent are unsure.
Pew Research Center data from 2023 echoes that sentiment, revealing that more than half of Democrats (55 percent) believe the trend of people having fewer children has a “positive impact” on the environment.
Other data from Pew Research Center in June of 2024 found that 19 percent of Biden voters believe “society is better off if people make marriage and having children a priority,” compared to 59 percent of former President Donald Trump supporters and 39 percent of registered voters overall.
Interestingly, a Gallup survey last year found that Americans’ preference for larger families — having three or more children — reached its highest percentage since 1971, a new Gallup survey found.
That survey found that adults younger than 30 are “far less likely” than older respondents to already have children. However, 63 percent reported wanting to have children someday.
“Young adults are also more likely than older age groups to think having three or more children is ideal,” Gallup analyzed. “Thus, the greater risk of the U.S. population shrinking due to a declining birth rate may stem from young adults waiting much longer than prior generations to start having children rather than from a decreased desire to have children altogether.”
The Independent Center survey was conducted with 1,200 likely voters younger than 45 years old between October 18 and 22. The margin of error is ±2.8 percentage points.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
