For many years, the topic of overpopulation has been a concern for people around the world as the global population surpassed 8 billion people. Currently, however, the conversation surrounding this topic has completely flipped, and researchers are now sounding the alarms on underpopulation, particularly in wealthier, developed countries.
While it can seem counterintuitive that population decline can be a bad thing, declining birth rates are leading to fears of economic strain and smaller workforces. Over half of the world’s countries have fertility rates below replacement level (2.1 children per household) and about two-thirds of the world’s population lives in areas with fertility rates below replacement levels. The high cost of raising children and concerns about financial stability are widely regarded as major deterrents that are preventing young couples from having children.
Increased and often unrealistic expectations of motherhood are another significant factor in why the desire to want kids has declined among women, especially for Generation Z. Gen Z has grown up with social media, which exposes them to a curated, idealized, and an often overwhelming vision of motherhood that was less visible to previous generations. Gen Z values personal aspirations, freedom, and life choices beyond traditional roles, challenging the idea that women must prioritize domesticity. More opportunities mean women are less willing to sacrifice career growth for motherhood. They witness the struggles of previous generations balancing demanding careers with family, leading them to seek different arrangements or avoid the added complications of kids.
A strong desire for meaningful work and career advancement often ranks higher than marriage or children for modern young women. They view marriage and children as less essential life milestones, prioritizing career and self-fulfillment instead, with many seeing motherhood as incompatible with the lifestyles and ambitions they desire. Women can provide for themselves, reducing reliance on men and making single life more viable. Gen Z sees the challenges working Millennial mothers face balancing career and childcare, leading to frustration and a desire for better workplace support that often doesn’t exist.
Sophomore Arista Dalton expressed a viewpoint of motherhood that tends to be inline with her peers, stating, “I do not want kids, I would rather focus on my career and be successful.”
Gen Z values personal freedom, financial stability, and mental well-being, seeing traditional marriage/kids as optional rather than essential due to economic pressures, climate anxiety, social media showcasing diverse happy lives, and a shift away from religious norms, leading many to delay or forgo parenthood for career, freedom, self-fulfillment and ambitions, or due to the feeling that the world is too unstable to bring a child in. High awareness of mental health leads to the feeling of not being able to care for a child or that bringing them into a troubled life is unfair.
The growing concern over underpopulation in developed nations reflects far more than shifting demographics. It reveals a fundamental transformation in how younger generations view family, identity and self-fulfillment. Economic pressures, evolving gender roles, and heightened awareness of mental health have made traditional milestones like marriage and children feel less necessary, and in many cases, less attainable.
While the dominant thought among Gen-Z is that parenting isn’t worth it, some young women still see motherhood as a powerful goal to work towards. One such student, junior Madelyn Tramel countered the anti-parent viewpoint of her peers, saying, “I want kids because kids provide a profound sense of love and fulfillment.”
Whether the young women of Generation Z plan to have children in their future or not is a pivotal decision they will make not only for themselves, but for the globe as a whole.
