In South Korea, a palpable sense of unease grips the younger generation when it comes to marriage, childbirth, and parenting.
A study by the Korea Peninsula Population Institute (KPPIF), released on March 11, 2025, sheds light on this sentiment. Analyzing 50,000 anonymous posts on Blind, an online platform for young workers, from late 2017 to November 2024, the research reveals a deep-seated negativity.
About 32.3% of marriage-related posts expressed sadness, 24.6% conveyed fear, and 10.2% showed disgust, with only 9.3% radiating happiness according to the KPPIF Study. The outlook on childbirth is similarly bleak: over 60% of posts carried a negative tone, with 23.8% marked by disgust, 21.3% by fear, and 15.3% by sadness. Parenting fares even worse, with 70% of posts reflecting despair or dread.
The KPPIF ties this pervasive gloom to economic and social anxieties. The word “money” surfaced in 30% of marriage-related posts and 13.2% of those about childbirth, signaling financial insecurity as a core concern. This comes as South Korea’s birthrate, after years of decline, shows a slight uptick, possibly a fleeting post-pandemic boost.
Yet, the institute cautions that this recovery may not hold, given the youth’s enduring pessimism. A separate survey by the Government Policy Coordination Office of 15,000 people aged 19-34 found willingness to marry dropped 12% in 2024 compared to two years earlier, while desire for children fell 4%.
On the same day as the KPPIF report, Acting President Choi Sang-mok unveiled new support measures: priority boarding for families with three or more kids on international flights, housing benefits for newlyweds and new parents, and a pilot program in Seoul enlisting 5,000 elderly volunteers to help with childcare. These steps aim to ease burdens in a nation where half the population resides in the capital region, yet they also highlight a broader struggle.
However, South Korea’s story is not unique but a vivid reflection of a global trend where younger generations, from Seoul to San Francisco, are turning away from parenthood. Economic pressures, shifting societal norms, and personal choices converge to drive birthrates down worldwide, a phenomenon this article explores in depth.
What begins in South Korea ripples across continents. Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2012) face a world vastly different from their parents’, one where starting a family feels less like a milestone and more like a gamble. This narrative weaves together data and insights from diverse regions, revealing why the global population growth is slowing and what it might mean for humanity’s future.
When Raising a Family Becomes a Luxury
For many young people today, the dream of parenthood collides with stark economic realities.
In South Korea, the KPPIF study pinpointed money as a recurring worry, a sentiment that resonates globally. In the United States, a Newsweek poll of 1,500 adults revealed that 53% of Gen Z and 55% of Millennials would consider kids if living costs were lower. The U.S. birthrate has been sliding since 2008, with deaths outpacing births in half of all states by 2020-2021, a stark indicator of demographic strain.
The financial toll of raising a child is daunting. In the U.S., the cost for a child born in 2015 averages $233,610, with food accounting for 18% and housing 29%, expenses that climb as kids grow older. Fortune found in July 2024 that young adults without kids are three times more likely than those over 50 to say they can’t afford parenthood. With 78% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck in 2023, and entry-level jobs paying $11-15 per hour, childcare costs averaging $15.77 per hour often eclipse rent, making the math unworkable.
Housing adds another layer of complexity. In the U.S., Millennials grapple with a housing crisis, many unable to buy homes and instead renting or staying with parents. South Korea mirrors this, with soaring real estate prices in Seoul pushing family planning out of reach. Across Europe, urban housing shortages delay milestones like marriage and kids, once seen as natural steps to parenthood. Without a stable home, the foundation for a family feels shaky at best.
Work and wages compound the issue. In South Korea, fierce job competition leaves young people scrambling for stability, a struggle echoed in the U.S. where student debt burdens graduates, fueling fears of passing financial woes to the next generation. Inflation drives up costs for essentials like baby formula, which saw shortages and price hikes globally, adding stress to already tight budgets.
Support systems also fall short for the would-be parents. In the U.S., the Family and Medical Leave Act offers just 12 weeks of unpaid leave, a luxury few can afford in the current economy. Contrast this with Sweden’s generous parental leave, yet even there, birthrates dip, hinting that economics alone don’t tell the full story. South Korea’s new incentives, like housing perks, aim to lighten the load, but their impact remains uncertain.
Globally, economic barriers form a common thread. Young people weigh the cost of living against the cost of loving, and for many, the scales tip away from family. Stability, once a given, now feels like a prerequisite they can’t meet, turning parenthood into a privilege rather than a rite of passage.
Shifting Society, Choice, and a New Vision of Life
Beyond the balance sheet, societal transformations and personal decisions are fundamentally altering the landscape of parenthood. The reasons are varied, reflecting a mix of cultural evolution, individual agency, and new global challenges.
Control Over Reproduction and a Cultural Shift
In South Korea, the KPPIF study revealed a profound cultural shift, with over 60% of posts about childbirth and 70% about parenting steeped in negativity, driven by intense social pressures. This mirrors a global trend where access to affordable, reliable birth control has empowered Millennials and Gen Z to take charge of their reproductive futures. As The Washington Post observed, this newfound control allows young people to delay or entirely bypass parenthood, reshaping traditional timelines. In the U.S., Pew Research found that 56% of childless adults aged 18-49 in 2021 simply didn’t want kids, a sharp rise from 37% in 2018, signaling a growing acceptance of childlessness as a valid life choice.
Rejection of Traditional Milestones
This shift goes beyond practicality—it’s a deliberate break from old norms. Marriage and homeownership, once prerequisites for starting a family, are losing their grip. In South Korea, aversion to marriage stems from both economic strain and a reevaluation of societal expectations. Similarly, in the U.S., the #childfree movement on TikTok has transformed childlessness into a celebrated identity, challenging the assumption that parenthood is a universal goal. A November 2024 Newsweek poll underscored this divide: 30% of Gen Z and Millennials neither have nor want kids, compared to 62% who do or might, highlighting a significant generational split.
Climate Change as a New Concern
Climate change has emerged as a wildcard, reframing the parenthood debate in unexpected ways. In the U.S., 23% of young people surveyed in 2024 cited it as a reason to avoid having kids, a concern that resonates in Europe and parts of Asia. This anxiety ties into a broader sense of unease about the future. Gallup reported that only 44% of Gen Z feel prepared for what lies ahead, with 64% pointing to financial barriers as a key obstacle. In South Korea, fears of an unstable tomorrow amplify this dread, while in the U.S., the specter of school shootings adds another layer of hesitation.
Reproductive Rights and Gender Pressures
Reproductive rights introduce yet another dimension. In the U.S., the post-Roe v. Wade rollback of abortion access has deepened reluctance, with family planning now a ballot issue in 10 states, injecting uncertainty into life decisions. In South Korea, women face a stark choice between career and family, torn between societal demands and personal aspirations. Globally, the physical and emotional toll of childbirth—often unsupported by adequate systems—deters many, as the burden falls disproportionately on women.
Systemic Forces and Inequities
Systemic pressures further complicate the picture. Critics argue that capitalism historically pushes childbirth to sustain labor pools, a legacy of economic necessity that lingers today. In the U.S., poor families face legal risks during shortages—like baby formula crises—exposing deep inequities that punish the vulnerable while sparing corporations. This clash between individual choice and structural forces redefines parenthood’s appeal, casting it as both a personal and political act.
A Temporary Delay or Permanent Change?
Still, the decline might not be set in stone. In the U.S., some young people are delaying rather than rejecting parenthood, though older Millennials are running out of biological time. South Korea’s modest birthrate increase hints at potential reversibility, yet the pervasive negativity among its youth suggests otherwise. Globally, these societal shifts, coupled with personal agency and existential fears, mark a profound rethinking of what family means in an uncertain age.
Is this permanent? In the U.S., some delay rather than reject kids, though older Millennials’ window narrows. South Korea’s slight birthrate rise offers hope, but negativity persists. Globally, this blend of choice, societal evolution, and existential angst marks a turning point, challenging old norms and crafting a new vision of fulfillment.
As young people gaze at an uncertain horizon, their choice to step back from parenthood reflects both a quiet strength and a profound unease, a mirror to our era’s hopes and fears.