Fertility crisis driven by barriers, not choice: UNFPA

Millions aspire to parenthood but are held back by rising living costs, gender inequality, and fears about the future, says UNFPA.

The global decline in fertility rates is not the result of young people choosing to forgo parenthood—it’s the consequence of mounting social and economic pressures that prevent them from having the children they desire, according to a new United Nations report.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) released its flagship State of World Population 2025 report on Tuesday, highlighting how rising costs of living, entrenched gender inequality, and growing uncertainty about the future are denying millions the freedom to start families.

Titled The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World, the report argues that what’s truly at risk is not fertility itself, but people’s ability to make free and informed choices about if and when to have children.

“The focus needs to shift from fertility rates to reproductive rights,” the report emphasizes, calling on governments to address the underlying structural issues that are stifling people’s autonomy.

Economic Pressures Dominate

The findings are based on a recent UNFPA/YouGov survey across 14 countries, representing 37% of the global population. Economic hardship emerged as the most significant barrier to parenthood, with 39% of respondents citing financial limitations as the primary reason they are having fewer children than they would like.

Other key concerns included job insecurity (21%), fears about the future including climate change and conflict (19%), and the unequal division of domestic responsibilities, particularly among women. Thirteen percent of women and eight percent of men said household labor inequality played a role in their decision to delay or avoid having children.

The survey also found that:

• 1 in 3 adults have experienced an unintended pregnancy.

• 1 in 4 felt unable to have a child at their preferred time.

• 1 in 5 reported being pressured into having children they did not want.

Moving Beyond Quick Fixes

The UNFPA cautions against short-term, coercive strategies—such as fertility targets or "baby bonuses"—often employed to counter falling birth rates. These measures, the report argues, are not only ineffective but may also infringe on human rights.

Instead, the agency calls on policymakers to expand reproductive choices by tackling the root causes behind delayed or reduced childbearing. Recommendations include:

• Investing in affordable housing and decent employment opportunities.

• Ensuring access to paid parental leave and comprehensive reproductive healthcare.

• Promoting workplace policies that support involved fatherhood and prevent discrimination against mothers.

Immigration and Gender Equality

The report also urges governments to see immigration as a strategic response to labor shortages and aging populations amid declining fertility.

Crucially, it highlights the need to confront gender inequality. This includes challenging stigma around active fatherhood, revising workplace norms that marginalize mothers, and narrowing widening gender gaps among younger generations—factors contributing to rising rates of singlehood and postponed family formation.

“Freedom and support to choose if, when, and how to have children is the cornerstone of demographic resilience,” the report concludes.