Not Yet or Never? Deliberation State and Perceived Barriers to Parenthood

In one sentence

Contrary to popular accounts, among currently childless adults who remain open to having children, economic concerns matter far more than lifestyle autonomy.

Summary

We conduct AI-led, open-ended interviews with 1,074 childless adults in Singapore, South Korea, and the United States. Among respondents who have ruled out having children, lifestyle autonomy is the dominant perceived reason for childlessness. Among those who remain open to parenthood, economic security dominates instead. Population reweighting suggests that this latter group comprises roughly two-thirds of childless adults aged 21–49.

Research topics