Financial uncertainty, career focus leading Dutch women to delay childbearing
Women in the Netherlands are increasingly choosing to have children at older ages, NOS reports. Sociologists attribute this shift to factors such as prioritizing personal development, financial concerns, and the so-called "child penalty" — the career setbacks many women face after having children. Experts point to broader societal trends that reflect changes in women's roles and expectations.
The trend of having children later in life has been reportedly noticeable since the 1980s, with more women over 35 becoming pregnant, according to Tanja Traag, the chief sociologist at the CBS. In 2023, Dutch women had their first child at an average age of 30.3, up from 29.4 a decade earlier. This shift is not unique to the Netherlands, as similar trends are being seen in other countries, such as the United States, where women over 40 had more children than teenage mothers for the first time in history in 2023.
Lonneke van der Berg of the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI), who studies young adulthood, notes that many women in their 20s and early 30s delay major life events such as moving out of their parents' home, cohabiting, and starting families. She points to a growing emphasis on self-development, with young women prioritizing education, career-building, and financial independence over early family life.
For those without higher education, financial concerns are a significant factor in delaying childbearing, according to van der Berg. She explains that uncertainties in the housing and job markets, along with the high costs of childcare, are contributing to the delay. "This is a concerning development," she told NOS.
The delay or even abandonment of the desire for children is not necessarily negative, says van der Berg. Many young women see the freedom to travel and the absence of a fixed home base as benefits of waiting. There is a broader social shift toward accepting personal investment and career focus before settling down to have children.
With more women now holding higher education degrees than their male counterparts, van der Berg suggests that women are choosing to enjoy the benefits of their hard-earned academic and career success before considering parenthood.
The issue of the "child penalty" also plays a major role in the decision to delay or forgo having children. Dr. Hanneke Takkenberg, an expert at Erasmus MC, has experienced firsthand the professional challenges women face after having children. "When I got pregnant, I was asked how many days I would work after childbirth, something I believe is never asked of a man," she told NOS. This penalty is reportedly reflected in the decline of women's income, working hours, and pension contributions after having children, while men's career trajectories remain largely unaffected.
While fertility rates for women decline more rapidly after the age of 35, men experience a slower decline in sperm quality. In response to the increasing trend of later pregnancies, many couples in the Netherlands are turning to fertility treatments such as IVF (in vitro fertilization). However, IVF is a taxing process, involving hormone treatments, egg retrieval, and embryo implantation.
Takkenberg, who is also involved in a new research center in Rotterdam focused on women's health, points out that medically-assisted reproduction is becoming more common as women delay childbirth. "More couples are opting for IVF due to unintended childlessness, partly because women are starting families later," she explains.
