Global Youth Rethink Family Formation Amid Economic Insecurity, Social Stigma, and Environmental Anxiety

Strategic Insights -

In a flagship publication, the State of World Population Report 2025, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reveals that young people across the globe are reevaluating their approach to family formation due to the relentless pressure of economic insecurity, social stigma, and environmental anxiety. The report, covering 14 countries, exposes the systemic failures that hinder millions of individuals from exercising their reproductive rights freely and fully. Millions of young people have delayed or abandoned plans to have children, driven by a lack of financial stability, job insecurity, and the unaffordable costs of childcare and education.

Key Takeaways:

  • **Economic hardship is the single most cited factor affecting people's ability to have children**, with 39% of respondents blaming financial constraints, 21% citing job insecurity, and 19% pointing to housing issues.
  • **Millions of youth are delaying or abandoning plans to have children due to economic insecurity**, with 40% of respondents in the UNFPA-YouGov survey indicating they or their partner had experienced an unintended pregnancy.
  • **Social stigma and exclusion** also play a significant role, with 31% of respondents aged 50 and above reporting that they ended up having fewer children than they ideally wanted.
  • **Climate anxiety, social unrest, and political instability** are common concerns, with 45% of respondents citing climate change as a factor weighing against having children.
  • **Women are nearly twice as likely as men to cite a partner's lack of support in housework and childcare as a reason for avoiding more children**, highlighting the critical role of gender dynamics in fertility choices.
  • **Bangladesh's fertility rate, currently around 2.0, has dropped significantly since the 1980s**, echoing the global trend of delayed or abandoned family formation due to economic insecurity.

Statistics:

  • **32% of respondents in the UNFPA-YouGov survey reported experiencing an unintended pregnancy**.
  • **40% of respondents felt unable to have a child at their preferred time**, with 12% ultimately giving up their desire to have more children.
  • **31% of respondents aged 50 and above reported having fewer children than they ideally wanted**.
  • **45% of respondents cited climate change as a factor weighing against having children**.
  • **39% of respondents blamed financial constraints as a factor affecting their ability to have children**, compared to 21% citing job insecurity.

Sources:

  • State of World Population Report 2025, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  • UNFPA-YouGov survey
  • Photo: Collected