Childless adults split on whether they’ll have kids: survey

New data from the Angus Reid Institute (ARI) shows that only roughly one in five childless adults 50 or younger are confident they will have children.

The survey of 1,300 Canadians found that 21 per cent indicated definite plans to have children, with another one in three (32 per cent) saying they may do so. Meanwhile, 37 per cent of the sample were sure they wouldn’t have children.

Among the “yes” or “maybe” groups, approximately half say they have delayed the decision, with 40 per cent saying they hadn’t yet found the right partner, another 41 per cent blaming financial or career insecurity and roughly one-third each pointing to child-care costs or accessibility and the ongoing crisis in affordable housing.

Affordability concerns were also common among those who said they wouldn’t have children, with one in four pointing to child-care costs and 18 per cent doubting they would have suitable housing for a family.

That said, the most common reason against having children, the survey found, was simple non-interest: two in three respondents who planned to remain childless said it just wasn’t for them.

Birth rates at all-time low, again

Thursday’s ARI release notes that last year brought the second consecutive all-time low for Canada’s birth rate, at 1.26 and 1.33 children per woman in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

In addition, according to data from Statistics Canada, the national population aged 65 and above is growing six times faster than those under 15.

Asked for their thoughts on the issue, survey respondents were split on whether low birth rates were a crisis, with 43 per cent saying they were and 42 per cent disagreeing.

Those who planned to have children were more likely to view low birth rates as a crisis, at 53 per cent, compared with 28 per cent among those who said they definitely would not have kids.

Regarding potential solutions, 42 per cent of those surveyed either strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement: “If we cannot nationalize child care, our birth rate will plummet even more,” but a similar percentage, 44 per cent, agreed that “governments will never be able to provide affordable child care.”

Roughly half of respondents to the September survey said they agreed that it wasn’t their responsibility to fund the child care of others; a sentiment more common among respondents with older children, (59 per cent among parents of adults) and Conservative party supporters (74 per cent).

Methodology

The ARI survey was conducted online between Sept. 12 and 18, 2024, among a representative, random sample of 4,063 Canadian adults. The institute notes that a probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The number of parents with children aged zero to six has been boosted, in the words of the institute, “to ensure more relevant responses regarding child care.”

Of the sample, 1,300 indicated they were age 50 or younger, with no children.