YOUNG adults want relationships, children, and hopeful futures, but financial and job insecurity are standing in the way, according to a new United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) survey of more than 108,000 internet-connected young adults across 73 countries.
The findings come amid falling fertility rates across much of the world, intensifying debate about how governments should respond to demographic change.
Financial Security and Marriage
A majority of respondents wanted to find a partner, get married, and have children.
In fact, marriage was cited as the ideal for two thirds of all respondents and only a small minority of people said they wanted to have no children.
The highest-rated factors shaping whether young adults feel ready to become a parent were financial security, cited as important by 88% of respondents, stable employment, cited by 87%, and emotional readiness, cited by 85%.
Diene Keita, Executive Director, UNFPA, New York, USA, said: “Young people carry an inspiring sense of hope and a clear vision for their families and futures.
“When we break down financial barriers and support their agency, they can make the choices that are right for them.
“By investing in their dreams today, we are building a more resilient and thriving tomorrow.”
Personal Fulfilment Versus Workforce Contribution
The report revealed that decisions about partnership and parenthood are closely tied to the conditions in which young people are trying to build their lives, from finding partners and affording housing, to securing stable work, sharing care responsibilities, and feeling supported enough to make free and confident choices about their futures.
There was also an incongruence between public anxieties around birth rates and the personal reasons young adults gave for wanting children.
The joy and happiness children bring was cited as a key motivation for parenthood by 80% of respondents.
Alternatively, government encouragement and the idea of contributing to the future workforce ranked among the lowest-rated motivations.
Findings suggest, UNFPA reported, that debates around fertility and demographic change may need to be broader, considering not whether young people value family life, but what conditions are necessary to help them build the futures they want.
Two thirds of respondents reported feeling somewhat or very positive about the future, even as conflict and security risks, economic insecurity, and inequality weighed heavily on their lives and decisions.
Featured image: gpointstudio on Adobe Stock
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