How Americans Are Thinking About Children

While America’s historically low birthrate is in part due to the rising number of Americans who don’t want children, there is a critical missing demographic: the increasing number of “maybe someday” parents. Consider that the average ideal family size for the modern American is now 2.6—the highest it has been since 1971. Adults under 30 are also more likely than any other age group to believe three or more kids is preferable, and women’s desired number of children has remained relatively stable over the years. So, what’s driving the gap between our ideal and our reality? According to research, it’s the economy.

Many Americans in their prime childbearing years find it hard to achieve their family-size goals because of financial and social concerns. Younger demographics are more likely to feel they haven’t achieved stability or big life milestones that we traditionally associate with being prerequisites for having children. Birthrates also predictably fall during periods of economic hardship.

It seems more and more we feel that it’s just not the right time to have a child, while grappling with the reality that time is also running out. If most of us agree that having more children is ideal, we must focus on reducing the economic and social barriers that Americans think stand in their way of achieving an ideal family size.

Courtney Joslin

R Street Institute

Colorado Springs, Colo.