UNFPA report links falling birth rates to cost of living, sexist norms, fear of the future

NEW YORK, 10 June, 2025 – Millions of people are unable to have the number of children they want, but not because they are rejecting parenthood; economic and social barriers are stopping them. This is the central finding of UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population report, “The real fertility crisis: The pursuit of reproductive agency in a changing world”.* 

Drawing on academic research and new data from a UNFPA/YouGov survey spanning 14 countries – together home to over a third of the global population – the report finds that one in five people globally expect to not have the number of children they desire. Key drivers include the prohibitive cost of parenthood, job insecurity, housing, concerns over the state of the world, and the lack of a suitable partner. A toxic blend of economic precarity and sexism play a role in many of these issues, the report shows.

“Vast numbers of people are unable to create the families they want,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA. “The issue is lack of choice, not desire, with major consequences for individuals and societies. That is the real fertility crisis, and the answer lies in responding to what people say they need: paid family leave, affordable fertility care, and supportive partners.”

The data paints a stark picture:

• More than half of people said economic issues were a barrier to having as many children as they wanted.
• 1 in 5 people report having been pressured to have children when they didn’t want to.
• 1 in 3 adults have experienced an unintended pregnancy.
• 11% say that unequal caregiving burdens would undermine their ability to have children.
• 40% of respondents over 50 say they failed to have the number of children they wanted.

The report warns against simplistic or coercive responses to declining birth rates – such as baby bonuses or fertility targets – noting that these policies are largely ineffective and can violate human rights.

Instead, UNFPA urges governments to empower people to make reproductive decisions freely, including by investing in affordable housing, decent work, parental leave, and the full range of reproductive health services and reliable information. Other solutions include expanding access to parenthood to LGBTQI+ and single people. 

UNFPA also calls on societies to address all the ways that gender inequality undermines people’s family choices, including:

• Workplace norms that push women out of paid work
• Lack of paid flexible leave for men and stigma against engaged fathers
• Lack of affordable childcare
• Restrictions in reproductive rights, including contraception, abortion and fertility care
• Diverging gender attitudes held by young men and women, contributing to singlehood

A tailored mix of economic, social, and political measures will be needed in each country to help people form the families they want. As policy makers consider how to navigate shifting population dynamics, UNFPA stands ready to support them in understanding the challenges they face, and designing solutions that will ensure rights and choices for all.

• You can access the UNFPA report “The real fertility crisis: The pursuit  of reproductive agency in a changing world” here: www.unfpa.org/swp2025*
• For more information about UNFPA, please visit: www.unfpa.org 

*Please note the online version of the report will go live when the embargo lifts.

Media contacts:

• Eddie Wright (New York): ewright@unfpa.org; +1 917 931 2074
• Zina Alam (New York): zialam@unfpa.org; +1 212 297 2715

About UNFPA and the State of World Population Report:

As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA helps people obtain contraception and life-saving reproductive health services and information and empowers women and girls to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives. It also helps countries use population data to better understand and harness the opportunities that can come with demographic change. 

The State of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication. Published yearly since 1978, it shines a light on emerging issues in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, bringing them into the mainstream and exploring the challenges and opportunities they present for international development.