Capitol News

Recent research indicates a shift in American attitudes towards parenthood, with a study from Michigan State University revealing a significant increase in the number of nonparents who do not wish to have children. This finding suggests the possibility of a long-term trend, as data from the Pew Research Center align with these observations.

Jennifer Watling Neal, a professor in MSU’s psychology department and co-author of the study, stated, "We found that the percentage of nonparents who don’t want any children rose from 14% in 2002 to 29% in 2023. During the same period, the percent of nonparents who plan to have children in the future fell from 79% to 59%."

The study was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family. It classifies nonparents into categories such as "childfree" individuals who do not want children, "childless" individuals who desire children but cannot have them, and "not yet parents" who plan on having children later. The research drew on data from the National Survey of Family Growth, which studied 80,000 adults over seven waves spanning from 2002 to 2023.

Highlighting the study's significance, Watling Neal mentioned, "This study is one of the first to consider both men and women as well as desires for both biological and nonbiological children." Co-author Zachary Neal added, "We knew from our prior research that childfree adults were a large and growing group in Michigan. These new results confirm this is part of a nationwide trend that has been unfolding for over 20 years."

The study emphasizes varying needs among nonparent groups. Specific attention is given to childless adults experiencing conception difficulties, often turning to fertility treatments. Notably, Zachary Neal observed, "Relatively few nonparents are childless, and the size of this group has been stable for many years."

Conversely, the growing number of childfree adults necessitates addressing their specific requirements. Watling Neal pointed out, "Childfree adults have needs for long-term contraception and for retirement planning that doesn’t assume having heirs, but medical and financial service providers often aren’t equipped to meet these needs."

Looking ahead, the research team plans to investigate global trends in types of nonparents, considering the impact of economic and political factors.