Almost a quarter of millennials and Gen Z adults without children say they plan to stay that way. The reason? Money.
About 23% of these adults, ranging from 18- to 43-years-old, said their financial motivation to remain childless boils down to two issues: valuing the financial freedom that comes from not having kids, as well as concerns about their ability to foot the bill for raising children, according to a new survey from MassMutual.
The findings come as the annual U.S. birth rate has slowed to a record low. Other research also points to how financial factors are influencing the decision to start a family. In a July survey, Pew found that Americans under 50 without children said they opted against kids for both lifestyle and financial reasons, such as wanting to save for the future or having more time for hobbies and interests.
And to be sure, it’s increasingly expensive to raise a child, with one study finding parents typically spend about $240,000 on each kid from birth to age 18. That’s a 20%…
