A Pew survey late last week found that 44% of Americans between 18 and 49 who aren't parents say it is not too likely or not at all likely that they will have children — an increase of 7 percentage points from 2018.
Why it matters: The shift could lead to smaller family Thanksgiving dinners and major social and economic changes, as children become rarer in many parts of the country and more American adults reach old age with little to no family to support them.
Shannon Osaka, The Washington Post
Madison Colombo, Fox News
Lyman Stone, Peter Foreshaw Brookes, The Critic
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Weekly roundup of research, commentary, and insights changing the national conversation on the family.
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© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
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