Today’s young people are growing up in the midst a global pandemic that has soaring house prices and unpromising prospects. Market for jobClimate change and its shadow.
As part of the 2021 Australian Youth BarometerWe asked young people what their futures looked like. Some of the responses were very grim. One 24-year-old observed that:
As a young person, I feel like we get the best out of almost everything.
What is this doing to young people’s aspirations? What impact could this have on young people’s plans to have children?
The Australian Youth Barometer
The Australian Youth BarometerWe surveyed over 500 Australians aged 18-24 from diverse backgrounds. We also interviewed 30 more young people. We interviewed them about their health and education, as well as their employment, money, food, safety, community involvement, and participation.
We found that 24% of respondents were pessimistic about the possibility of having children in their future. This is a complex phenomenon. Some people are yet to make a final decision. Some are choosing not have children.
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Unsurprisingly, young people see a stable home and financial independence as prerequisites for having a family – both of which seem increasingly unattainable for many in the current employment and housing market.
This number is significantly higher for those who live in unstable housing and precarious financial situations, as well for young non-binary people.
For example, 65% are very pessimistic regarding their housing prospects and 9% are optimistic about having children. Here are the concerns of a 24-year-old interviewee:
[the]Rising cost of living, owning your home, having enough money to be able to build a family and keep it going, but not spending all my money.
Another 20 year old explained her hesitancy in a similar way:
I think in the future, it’s probably just about being able to provide enough for my family […]If I have a family in my future.
On the flip side, people who are optimistic about having kids tend to be more optimistic about their futures in terms of financial security and accessing supportive social networks. They are also more optimistic about living a world where environmental issues are addressed. However, having enough money is important.
I want to live to the point where I have enough money to enjoy my retirement years. […] that I’ve earned, without having to worry about making repayments or things like that. If it’s uni for my [future] kids or something like that, then I’m more than happy, but I don’t want to have to pay my own debts.
Our survey revealed no significant differences in optimism or pessimism between men and women about having children. Younger women were more optimistic about the prospect of having children in their future (17.8%), than were young men (17.8%).
Climate change and babies
Climate change also appears to be influencing young people’s views about children. Nearly a third (31%) of respondents were very or very pessimistic regarding the effectiveness of environmental issues being addressed.
A 19-year old told us that the biggest concern is:
Climate change is a real threat. Our age group is most likely to be affected by it […] Like everyone’s affected by it, but it’s our future. It’s not some 90-year-old woman’s future.
Continue reading:
Yes, young people care about climate change. However, it can motivate them to act
Recent Media reportsMany young people want to have fewer children.
As the Guardian’s Sian Cain wrote:
The climate crisis has given us the opportunity to rebrand child-free as the ultimate altruistic act.
Meanwhile, other data suggests young people simply don’t see having kids as inevitable or essential. The ABC’s Australia TalksIn 2019, almost four out of four Australians believed that having children was not necessary in order to live a fulfilled life. Their study found that having children did not make people happier.
The pandemic was also featured constant reportsFind out how mothers shoulder the brunt work-related and care-related responsibilities.
What does this all mean for Australia?
The combination of housing affordability and the Permanent normWomen tend to assume the majority household labour while raising children. Climate change is hard to ignore.
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However, young people’s views about having children is about more than personal choice. It is about how we prepare for changes in Australia’s and worldwide population.
The fertility rate has been stable in Australia. Declining for some time. Australian Bureau of Statistics DataIt is expected that in the next decade, there will be fewer couples without children. They outnumber those without children.
As policy makers confront how Australia’s economy, environment and population needs to look in the coming decades, they should not forget how their decisions affect not only young people today, but future generations.
Continue reading:
Half of 35-year-old women who want to have children don’t get one or have less than they planned.
