Money, job security limiting family plans: UN sounds declining fertility alarm

More and more people across the world are finding it hard to freely realise their reproductive aspirations with money emerging as a major constraint in the path of raising intended families.

A new UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report released on Tuesday shines light on the growing crisis of declining fertility and says that though across every country, the most common number of children desired people wanted to have was two, significant proportions of people reported having to revise their intended family size during their life course.

Worrying numbers

14,000 surveyed across 14 nations, including India

39% cited financial constraints for having fewer children

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21% felt job insecurity stopped them for raising intended families  

19% highlighted housing limitations; 12% lack of childcare support 

"These revisions took place in both directions – some changed their plans to accommodate fewer children, and some changed their plans to accommodate more. Almost one-fifth of reproductive-age adults (18 per cent) believed they would be unable to have the number of children they desired; 11 per cent believed they would have fewer children than they would ideally choose, while 7 per cent believed they would have more. Some 37 per cent said they expected to meet their ideal number, and 45 per cent did not know or did not want to say," the report titled "The Real Fertility Crisis" says.

The findings stem from a UNFPA and YouGov online survey of more than 14,000 adults, both men and women, across 14 countries, including India, that together are home to more than 37 per cent of the global population.

It sought to learn about the fertility aspirations and achievements of individuals, and to understand the challenges they experienced, if any. The results were eye opening, not only in how frequently people’s fertility aspirations go unfulfilled but also in how often they face barriers to both preventing pregnancy and becoming pregnant.

"Responses were also collected from people aged 50 and older, whose reproductive lives are assumed to be completed. From these individuals, we see a portrait of people’s actual realised fertility – and it commonly does not match their ideals. In this group, 31 per cent reported having fewer children than they ideally would have chosen, and 12 per cent reported having more. Everywhere we look, people are struggling to freely realize their reproductive aspirations," says the report.

The most startling finding of the UN study relates to the reason why people find it difficult to have intended families.

When asked what factors have led or are likely to lead you to have fewer children than you initially desired, 39 per cent respondents cited financial constraint; 21 per cent unemployment or job insecurity; 19 per cent housing limitations and 12 per cent lack of desired childcare support.

In India -- 38% of people approached said economic constraints kept them from having the number of children they wanted; 22 per cent mentioned limitations of housing space; 21 per cent job insecurity and 18 per cent lack of sufficient childcare options.

Nearly 14 per cent respondents overall also flagged lack of a suitable partner as a cause why they thought they would be unable to raise the family they wanted. This proportion was 12 per cent in India.

The Survey, UNFPA says, reflects a global reality as respondents were drawn from a mix of low, middle and high income nations such as Thailand, Italy, South Korea, India, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

"Partnership issues also played a clear role – 14 per cent of respondents said the lack of a partner, or a suitable partner, had led or would lead to them having fewer children than desired. More than 10 per cent said their partner’s insufficient involvement in housework or childcare had led or would lead to this outcome," UNFPA says, noting that while the last century saw major advances in healthcare and development, propelling the largest population expansion in human history, the world was now witnessing unprecedented fertility declines.