childfree
Who are the "childfree"?
Most demographic research on reproduction just distinguishes between parents and non-parents. But, there are many types of non-parents:
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childfree people do not want children
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childless people want children but cannot have them
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not-yet-parents plan to have children
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undecided people have not decided if they will have children
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ambivalent people have decided they will not have children, but aren't sure if they wanted children
Although there are magazine articles, books, and subreddits about the childfree, it remains an understudied and stigmatized population.
Research on childfree people
Find out more at www.thechildfree.org
My collaborative research with Dr. Jenna Watling Neal on childfree adults has examined several different questions:
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How many are there? We estimate 20-25% of all adults in Michigan are childfree
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How are they stereotyped? It's often believed that childfree adults will regret their decision, or will change their mind later, but we find that's usually not the case.
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How do they fit into society? Childfree people are often less satisfied with their neighborhoods. This could be because parents' strong preference for interacting with other parents means that childfree people get left out. It could also be because policymakers de-prioritize the needs and preferences of childfree people.
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Do politics matter for them? We find that childfree adults are slightly more liberal than adults. In Michigan, the overturning of Roe v Wade protections for abortion lead to a large increase in the number of adults who said they don't want children.
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Is being childfree a western phenomenon? No, we've found large and increasing numbers of childfree people in Japan, the Philippines, and other countries.