A startling number of Americans are citing 'domestic politics' as a reason for not having children

Empty cradle.
(Image credit: iStockphoto)

A startling number of Americans report that they are not having children because of fears about "global instability" and "domestic politics," a New York Times/Morning Consult survey of 1,858 men and women between the ages of 20 and 45 has found. While the overwhelming reason why the United States had a record low number of births last year was because of various economic anxieties, 37 percent of Americans said they have had or expect to have "fewer children than they considered ideal" specifically because of "global instability," while 36 percent cited "domestic politics."

Another group of young adults who said they didn't want children or weren't sure about having children also cited concerns about the world around them: 18 percent said global instability, and 10 percent cited domestic politics. Another 11 percent voiced climate change as a reason for questioning having children.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.