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The report -

The Pew Research Center survey focuses on two groups. One group comprises those ages 50 and older who haven’t had children.

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The under 50s -

The other group is comprised of those under 50 who say they’re unlikely to ever have children.

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Wanting children (ages 50 and older) -

When asked if there was a time when they wanted to have children, 38% of respondents age 50 or older said “yes.”

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Wanting children (ages 50 and older) -

The number of those who said they never wanted to have children was 32%. A quarter (25%) said they weren’t sure whether or not they wanted to have kids.

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It just never happened -

A whopping 39% of adults ages 50 and older without children cited "just never happened" as the major reason.

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They never met the right person -

About a third of the respondents (33%) said they “didn’t find the right partner.”

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They just didn’t want kids -

Many Americans aged 50 and older said they simply didn’t want to have children (31%).

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Other priorities -

A fairly large percentage (21%) cited “wanting to focus on other things” as a reason for not having children. This included their jobs and interests.

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Some can’t have children -

“Infertility or other medical reasons” (affecting them or their partner) was cited by just 15% of the respondents as a reason for not having children.

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They didn’t think the world was in a good state -

Concerns about the state of the world were a reason cited by 13% of the over 50 who never had children.

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Money problems -

A slightly smaller percentage (12%) said they couldn’t afford to raise a child.

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Childhood trauma -

While 11% claimed “negative experiences with their own family growing up” as the reason for not having kids.

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The other half didn’t want kids -

A spouse not wanting to have children accounts for 10% of the responses.

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A matter of preference -

Only 8% said they didn’t have children because they didn’t like them.

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General impact of not having children in adults 50 or over -

Much of this demographic claims that some things don’t have much to do with having children. These include “have a fulfilling life” (66%), “have a successful job or career” (64%), and “have an active social life” (56%).

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Personal impact of not having children in ages 50 and older -

Not having children seems to have an impact on a number of things, including “affording the things they want” (61%), “having time for hobbies and interests” (57%), and “saving for the future” (57%).

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Personal impact of not having children in Americans under 50 -

When it comes to adults under 50, however, the perceived impact is similar. These include “having time for hobbies and interests” (80%), “affording the things they want” (79%), and “saving for the future” (75%).

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It’s a choice -

Now, let’s take a look at the reasons why adults under 50 are unlikely to have children. The majority (57%) of people in this demographic claim the reason for not having kids is because they don’t want to.

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It’s not their priority in life -

The second major reason cited is because they want to focus on other things. A whopping 44% of under 50s cited this reason, in comparison to just 21% in the older group.

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The world is not a safe place -

Another reason why adults under 50 scored a lot higher when compared to the older group was “concerns about the state of the world.” The survey found that 38% selected this, as only 13% did so in the 50 and over group.

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Monetary reasons -

It looks like money is a bigger concern for those under 50, with 36% saying they can’t afford to have a child (vs 12% in the older group).

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The environment -

“Concerns about the environment” was a reason cited by 26% of this demographic.

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Finding the right person -

A slightly smaller percentage (24%) say they didn’t find the right partner. The percentage was higher in the older group, at 33%.

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Some just don’t really like kids -

The percentage of adults under 50 who are unlikely to have children because they don’t really like them is 20%. In the older group, only 8% cited this reason.

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Family trauma -

Adults under 50 seem to have more negative experiences with their own family growing up than the older group. A percentage of 22% vs. 13%, respectively.

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Infertility and other medical reasons -

“Infertility or other medical reasons” was cited by just 13% of the respondents under 50 as a reason for their unlikeliness of having children.

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Partners didn’t want kids -

A spouse not wanting to have children accounts for 11% of the responses in adults under 50.

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Differences by age -

The differences in responses by age in this demographic are more accentuated than in the older group. This is especially true for those aged 18 to 39 and those aged 40 to 49.

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Differences by age -

One of the reasons cited where this difference is more noticeable is the “want to focus on other things.” As far as numbers are concerned, 51% of those 18 to 39 cited this reason, when compared to 27% of those 40 to 49.

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Differences by age -

Other reasons where the difference is noticeable include “concerns about the state of the world” (43% vs. 25%) and “can’t afford to raise a child” (41% vs. 22%).

Sources: (Pew Research Center) 

See also: Myth-busting fertility: Distinguishing fact from fiction

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