#Globalsociety

The global decline in birth rates, long framed in terms of morality and cultural anxieties by right-wing commentators, is being recast by recent research as a problem rooted overwhelmingly in financial insecurity and systemic economic barriers. According to a groundbreaking United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) survey, the majority of people worldwide—including Thais—are having fewer children than they desire, primarily because of economic limitations, rather than a loss of interest in family or cultural shifts decried by conservative voices. This pushback comes amid rising alarmism in Western media declaring a “birth-rate crisis” with disastrous economic and social consequences if not urgently addressed.

New research reframes the global drop in birth rates as a response to financial insecurity and structural barriers rather than shifting values. An extensive UNFPA survey shows that people worldwide, including in Thailand, are having fewer children than they want mainly due to money troubles, unstable jobs, and housing pressures. The findings challenge the “birth-rate crisis” narrative and point to policy solutions that address the true costs of parenting.

Across nations, a gap remains between desired and actual family size. Thirty-nine percent of respondents cited financial constraints as the main reason for having fewer children than planned, while 40 percent pointed to job insecurity and housing inadequacy. Only 38 percent felt they reached their target, and 31 percent reported fewer children than hoped. The data indicate economic barriers are the primary obstacle to larger families, not a lack of interest in parenting.