Why Gen Z Not Having Children Is Rising And Why Millennials Strongly Agree Today

In the past ten years, a cultural shift has occurred where Gen Z not having children is not something unusual. This has gone from being an uncommon choice made by a small number of individuals to becoming an obvious social trend among the population. Behind this adamant attitude lies a number of factors redefining the semantics of relationships, such as economic uncertainty, mental health priorities and a tenacity to contradict the traditional societal implications.  

Younger adults who say they are unlikely to ever have children most commonly report that they simply don’t want to, but they also point to financial concerns, the state of the world, and lifestyle priorities, a pattern revealed in a major Pew Research Centre analysis. Specifically, 57% of adults under 50 who say they’re unlikely to have children cite just not having the desire to do so as a major reason.  

That statistic illustrates that the Gen Z not having children phenomenon isn’t driven by one factor alone; it’s the product of overlapping pressures and values that both Gen Z and many Millennials now share. 

When we dig into Gen Z no kids reasons, money consistently tops the list. A 2025 Securian Financial study reports that 84% of Generation Z and 71% of Millennials say current economic conditions influence their decisions about whether to have children, a stark indicator that finances are a primary barrier.  

The Cost of Care Report provides additional evidence, bringing into sharp relief how penalizing care costs have become for parents. Through a survey of 3,000 parents in the U.S., parents of children 14 or younger, the data shows that today's child rearing takes up a disproportionate place in a family's overall spending power; families may be spending almost 40% of their income on 'care', with a typical family spending $14,400 a year out of pocket. 

About 29% of parents are mired in economic upheaval through savings depletion and 89% claim that their partner had to make one major change to professional life. Most of these parents say they are experiencing increased stress, burnout, and mental health challenges as the non-financial costs of parenting begin to accumulate. The cost of care is no longer simply a line item; it serves as a caution if people decide to become parents and contributes to why millennials are not having children. These numbers make the decision to delay or decline parenthood a rational financial calculation for many young people, not simply a lifestyle whim. 

While financial concerns are clearly a factor in why Gen Z doesn’t want kids, the main reason behind their sentiments on parenting can also largely be attributed to emotional readiness and priority concerns. In Generation Z, many young adults are embracing a therapy culture; some are prioritizing emotional connectivity, and most are defining success in other ways than following traditional milestones. Therefore, for many young adults, parenting can be a costly activity financially, taxing in terms of physical and mental health and when compared to a young adult's career aspirations, travel hopes, creative aspirations, and hopes of healing emotionally, it seems to pale in comparison. This intentional conscious approach underpins the ethos of Gen Z and millennials childfree trend; those decisions are being made to provide purposefully chosen paths in life that are based on the well-being of the person rather than social norms.  

Gen Z grew up with unfiltered access to adult life via social media. Meaning their exposure to content creators showing sleep deprivation, caregiving stress, and career compromises in real time directly influences their perspective on the subject of parenthood. That visibility contributes to Gen Z no kids reasons because seeing the unglamorous reality of parenting early in life prompts many to ask, “Do I want this?” and choose rather to be a Dink. Young people's modern hesitation around parenthood has both emotional and empirical roots. It has rendered parenting as a thoughtful choice and not some obligation.  

Environmental worries are a powerful part of the narrative. Research into “climate emotions” shows high levels of anxiety: one recent population study found that about 85% of respondents reported at least moderate concern about climate change, with nearly 58% being very or extremely worried. These sentiments translate into life-planning decisions; surveys repeatedly show that a meaningful proportion report that climate is more or less likely a reason why millennials are not having children and why Gen Z doesn’t want kids.

When climate fears are combined with financial figures, the result is a multi-factor calculus where many render parenthood as a choice that is not feasible nor an answer for now or near future. 

The norms around dating, co-habiting, and relationship norms have taken a pivot. A prominent increasing trend among young adults is to pursue long-term relationships without marriage, enabling them to pursue the possibility of choosing not to marry or have children after getting married. This new way of living has reduced expectations of following a traditional path like marriage, home, children and helps promote the Gen Z and millennials childfree trend. In many cases, when relationships aren't tied to traditional milestones, parenthood becomes an option rather than a requirement. 

Modern young adults are rewriting the definition of success. Rather than tying identity to marriage or parenthood, they increasingly focus on: 

This evolving mindset contributes directly to Gen Z not having children, because the idea of “a fulfilling life” has changed; many now view parenthood as optional rather than essential. Ultimately, the growth in Gen Z no kids reasons reflects a cultural shift: parenthood is now often treated as a deliberate, conditional choice rather than an expectation. Economic readiness, climate concerns, mental health, and the desire for autonomy all feed into that decision-making process. 

If anything, Millennials’ earlier questioning of traditional pathways has made it easier for Gen Z to see non-parenthood as an acceptable and respected life plan.

In contemporary society, being childfree by choice is more accepted culturally than in previous decades. Non-parenthood through media coverage, representation of public figures, and conversations between peers has gained a greater level of acceptance compared to past years; this reduction in stigma allows individuals to associate their selection with value as well. The statistical increase in the number of childfree persons can therefore be explained by the fact that once the influences of societal pressures have decreased, people now have the "permission" necessary to act upon their preferences and not on the limitations traditionally placed upon them. 

The evolution of Demographics and Economic Conditions indicate that this pattern is likely to persist in part due to the continuing low levels of fertility in many countries across the globe, along with the fact that many policies related to maternity leave, affordable housing and Childcare are inconsistent and not being utilized, resulting in a significant economic uncertainty that will likely contribute to many individuals within Gen Z not having children for an extended time to come, as opposed to being a fad.

Policy shifts matter: targeted childcare support, housing policy, and climate action could change calculations. But absent those changes, the combination of financial data, mental-health emphasis, and climate worry will continue to push the needle away from default parenthood. 

The trend of Gen Z not having children is in response to the changing landscape of social values and tighter financial situations; enhanced awareness of the effects of climate change on the world; as well as changing cultural norms and attitudes toward family size. Millennials' alignment with most of these choices shows how this is a joint reaction to modern realities and not a squabble over morals.  

While Baby Boomers may have seen raising families as the norm, and that raising a family was a must once married. The same sentiment does not apply to Gen Z and Millennials for them the choice is a lot more deliberate, and it extends to their planning and actions. This shift towards collaborative and constructive communication illustrates how society is redefining rather than rejecting the familiar concept of family through social awareness and financial prudence. Whether it’s through community building, creative work or caregiving in various forms, Millennials and Gen Z are making conscious choices regarding parenting through strategic planning. With the realization that having children doesn’t necessarily equate to a gratifying life, the childfree choice becomes one of several legitimate ways to live a meaningful life.