Millions of individuals are unable to have the number of children they desire due to economic barriers and sexism, according to a recent UN report. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted factors such as the high cost of parenthood, job insecurity, expensive housing, concerns about the state of the world, and the lack of a suitable partner as key reasons preventing people from starting families.

Contrary to the beliefs of some right-wing governments, including those in the US and Hungary, the UNFPA's 2025 State of World Population report found that the majority of individuals actually want to have children. Dr. Natalia Kanem, the executive director of UNFPA, emphasized that the issue lies in a lack of choice rather than a lack of desire, with significant implications for both individuals and societies. She suggested that addressing the needs expressed by people, such as paid family leave, affordable fertility care, and supportive partners, is crucial to addressing the real fertility crisis.

A survey conducted by YouGov in 14 countries for the report revealed that nearly 20% of respondents did not have the family size they desired. The primary barrier to having children was financial constraints, with 39% of individuals stating that money issues had either led them to have fewer children than desired or were likely to do so. Women were more likely than men to cite an unequal division of domestic labor as a factor, while both genders mentioned concerns about the future, including climate change and conflict, as reasons for limiting their family size.

Dr. Kanem pointed out that many countries are facing challenges related to aging populations, labor shortages, and rising healthcare costs. However, she cautioned against coercive policies aimed at increasing births, as well as financial incentives like the proposed $5,000 "baby bonus" in the US, noting that these approaches may not have a lasting impact and could even have negative consequences. The report also highlighted the importance of expanding access to safe terminations to prevent unsafe abortions, a leading cause of maternal death and infertility.

In conclusion, Dr. Kanem emphasized that restricting choice or deciding who can exercise that choice is not the solution to falling fertility rates. Instead, she stressed the need to provide real choices to all individuals to address the underlying reasons behind the global fertility crisis.