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By Maria Morava
Relationships Reporter
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Rethinking the path to parenthood? You're not alone.
The number of American adults who do not have children and explicitly state they never want them has seen a dramatic increase over the past two decades, effectively doubling between 2002 and 2023. This is according to a new study from researchers at Michigan State University (MSU).
This shift aligns with recent data on U.S. fertility rates, suggesting more Americans are reconsidering parenthood. The MSU study in particular found a significant rise in adults identifying as "child-free"—those who choose not to have children.
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"We found that the percentage of nonparents who don't want any children rose from 14 percent in 2002 to 29 percent in 2023," Jennifer Watling Neal said in a press release. She is a professor in MSU's psychology department and co-author of the study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Conversely, the research showed a decrease in those planning future parenthood. The percentage of nonparents who plan to have children fell from 79 percent to 59 percent over the same period.
The research utilized data from the National Survey of Family Growth, encompassing surveys of approximately 80,000 adults across seven waves between 2002 and 2023. It distinguishes between different categories of nonparents, including the "child-free," "childless" individuals, those who wanted children but are unable to have them, and "not yet parents," those intending to have children later.
Notably, the study is among the first using this dataset to consider both men and women, and desires for both biological and nonbiological children, moving beyond a traditional focus on women's fertility.
'A Nationwide Trend'
Researchers say the results did not stand alone, but were a part of a larger pattern that has been revealing itself over the past few decades.
"We knew from our prior research that child-free adults were a large and growing group in Michigan," Zachary Neal, MSU professor of psychology and study co-author, said in the press release. "These new results confirm this is part of a nationwide trend that has been unfolding for over 20 years."
The study highlights that nonparent groups are not monoliths, but have differing needs. While the needs of "childless" adults seeking fertility treatments are discussed often, Neal noted that "relatively few" nonparents are childless. The researchers pointed to the need for more awareness and discussion around the needs of the child-free.
Who Are America's Nonparents?
Delving deeper into the study's findings, the researchers noted demographic variations among nonparents in the data.
While majorities across types of nonparents were white, lived in metropolitan areas and were employed, those planning or considering children—"not yet parents" and "undecided"—were typically younger. A notable finding was that among child-free individuals, a significant percentage—37.5 percent—identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
The decline in "not yet parents" coupled with an increase in "child-free," "undecided" and "ambivalent" individuals suggest that "declining birth rates may be driven, at least in part, by increasing numbers of individuals deciding they do not want children," the study states. But, at this time, the researchers caution against conclusions about the cause of the trend.
"It is unclear whether the observed trends reflect actual increases in the number of child-free people, increasing comfort with disclosing a desire not to have children, or other changes in the composition of the U.S. population," the researchers concluded.
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