The United Nations Population Fund’s (UNPFA) latest State of World Population report reveals five lesser-known insights about global fertility trends. It highlights that one in five people are having fewer children than they would like, mainly due to financial insecurity and a lack of gender-equal workplaces. While governments worry about declining birth rates and future labor shortages, the report suggests that increasing women’s participation in the paid workforce is a more effective solution than incentivizing childbirth. At the same time, UNPFA underscores how women in particular face social pressure to have children they do not want or are not ready for, often driven by misinformation about contraception, as seen in contexts like Nigeria. 

The report also finds that most fertility policies fail to address the root causes of declining birth rates. Incentives like baby bonuses or limited childcare subsidies have minimal long-term impact, while restrictive laws, such as criminalizing abortion, can increase the number of unsafe abortions, maternal mortality, and infertility. UNFPA urges governments to shift their approach: instead of fear-based tactics, they should focus on expanding reproductive freedom and building policies that promote hope and long-term well-being. Broader anxieties about war, climate change, and political instability are also leading many to have fewer children than they would like to have, underlining the need for inclusive, future-oriented social policies. 

Compiled From: “The fertility fallacy: five things you didn’t know about global fertility rates,” UNFPA, June 10, 2025.