Situation in the world, Netherlands a big reason behind decision not to have children

For half of the Netherlands residents who have decided not to have children, the situation in the world was the biggest reason for that choice. Globally, they worry about climate change and wars. In the Netherlands, their concerns are focused on the housing shortage, a hardening of society, drug crime, and mental health problems among young people, EenVandaag and LINDA found in a survey of over 4,100 people under 45 who don’t have children.

The respondents included 1,263 people who decided against having children. But also among people who are not sure yet, the situation in the world and the Netherlands are among the most frequently mentioned reasons for not having a child. Other reasons include not wanting to give up freedom or not liking children.

“I do not want a child to grow up in this world,” one person summarized. Participants feel sorry for kids growing up now in a world on fire and do not want to “saddle” more children with the consequences of past generations’ decisions. “We live from crisis to crisis, there is war everywhere. The threat of war in the Netherlands is high, and the climate is going to hell,” one person explained. “If we continue like this, there will be no world for my children (who I do not want).”

In the Netherlands, the housing shortage in particular is a concern. Some respondents state that they struggle to build their own lives here and fear it will only become more difficult for future generations.

This struggle is also a big reason to put off having children. For example, 67 percent of men who do not have children said that they put their desire for a family on the back burner because they do not have a suitable home. For the largest group of men, not earning enough and the desire to work on their careers first also lead to postponement. These issues are less common among women, 44 percent of whom have postponed children to build a career.

Having children is still the norm in the Netherlands, 49 percent of respondents said. Women are often confronted with the question of when they will start a family.53 percent of women without children regularly get asked whether they will have kids. The same is true for 16 percent of men. Many respondents called the question “irritating,” “rude,” or even painful.