Fertility
Summary
Fertility refers to the ability of individuals and populations to conceive and bear children. At the population level it is commonly measured by the total fertility rate, the average number of live births per woman. Worldwide, fertility has fallen from more than five births per woman in the 1950s to below replacement level (around 2.1) in many regions. This decline reflects the combined influence of biological factors (age at menarche and menopause, gamete quality), behavioural factors (age at first birth, partnership formation, contraceptive use), socioeconomic conditions (labour market participation, educational attainment) and cultural norms (gender roles, family expectations). Where infant and child mortality remain high, families often sustain higher fertility for support in old age, whereas in advanced economies delayed partnership and career priorities have driven fertility below replacement. Assisted reproductive technologies now offer additional routes to parenthood for those affected by subfertility.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have quantified the prevalence and social dynamics of adults who choose not to have children. Surveys in representative populations reveal that more than one in five adults identify as childfree and that most decide early in life. Analyses of interpersonal attitudes show asymmetric affective polarisation: parents tend to favour one another more strongly than do childfree individuals. Such findings illuminate how non-parent identities form and are perceived, and they highlight the need for inclusive public discourse on reproductive diversity.
Research from all publishers
New analyses of representative data in the United States show that legal restrictions on reproductive health care can lead to increases in the proportion of adults electing to remain childfree, with prevalence rising from around 21% to 26% following reduced access to safe abortion services. In urban India, qualitative work documents how childfree adults counter traditional expectations of intergenerational caregiving by planning personal finances and arranging private care solutions, challenging assumptions that parenthood is the sole pathway to later-life security.
Fertility publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fertility across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Total fertility rate (TFR): The average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have over their reproductive lifetimes if they experienced current age-specific fertility rates.
Childfree: Individuals who deliberately choose not to bear or raise children despite having the biological capacity to do so.
Subfertility: A reduced level of fertility characterised by a prolonged time to conception despite regular, unprotected intercourse.
Pronatalism: A social ideology or policy that encourages or pressures individuals to procreate.
Reproductive autonomy: The right and ability to make independent decisions about one’s reproductive life without coercion or undue external influence.
References
- Prevalence, age of decision, and interpersonal warmth judgements of childfree adults. Scientific Reports (2022).
- Prevalence of childfree adults before and after Dobbs v Jackson in Michigan (USA). PLOS ONE (2024).
- Reimagining Ageing and Later-Life Care: The Perspectives of Childfree Adults in Urban India. Society (2025).
- 12 Fertility.
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