The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has released its State of the World Population report, warning that a global fertility crisis is not caused by a lack of desire to have children. Instead, financial constraints, lack of quality healthcare, and gender inequality are major barriers to reproductive choices.
According to the report, 40% of respondents cited economic barriers as the main reason for having fewer children than they would like. This includes costs associated with raising children, job insecurity, and expensive housing. Fertility rates have fallen below 2.1 births per woman in more than half of all countries that took part in the survey.
The report found that most people want children, but are unable to do so due to external factors such as financial limitations, lack of access to quality healthcare, and unequal division of domestic labor. The study also highlighted significant differences in responses depending on which country respondents were from.
UNFPA Director Natalia Kanem emphasized that fertility rates are falling because many people feel unable to create the families they want. To address this issue, the report recommends expanding choices by removing barriers to parenthood identified by populations. This includes making parenthood more affordable through investments in housing, decent work, paid parental leave, and access to comprehensive reproductive health services.
Experts warn that governments must take a nuanced approach to addressing falling fertility rates, as simplistic solutions such as baby bonuses or fertility targets are often ineffective and risk violating human rights. Instead, they advocate for policies that empower people to make informed choices about their families.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/10/money-not-infertility-un-report-says-why-birth-rates-are-plummeting