alt=Classification of parents and non-parents on their attitudes and circumstances pertaining to having children|thumb|Classification of parents and non-parents on their attitudes and circumstances pertaining to having children
Voluntary childlessness or childfreeness is the active choice to neither conceive nor adopt children. Use of the word childfree was first recorded in 1901 and entered common usage among second-wave feminists during the 1970s. The suffix -free refers to the freedom and personal choice of those to pick this lifestyle. The meaning of the term childfree extends to encompass the children of others, in addition to one's own children. This distinguishes it further from the more usual term childless, which is traditionally used to express the idea of having no children, whether by choice or by circumstance.
In the research literature, the term child-free or childfree has also been used to refer to parents currently not living with their children, for example because they have already grown up and moved out. In common usage, childfree might be used in the context of venues or activities wherein young children are excluded even if the people involved may be parents, such as a childfree flight or a childfree restaurant.
In most societies and for most of human history, choosing not to have children was both difficult and socially undesirable, except for celibate individuals. The availability of reliable birth control (which has severed the link between sexuality and reproduction), more opportunities for financial security (especially for women), better healthcare (which has extended human life expectancy), and the ability to rely on one's own savings have made childlessness a viable option, even if this choice might still be frowned upon by society at large. Nevertheless, in some modern societies, being childfree has become not just more tolerated but also more common. In societies where children are seldom born out of wedlock, childfree individuals are likely to remain unmarried as well.
Reasons and challenges
Supporters of this lifestyle cite various reasons for their view. These reasons can be personal, social, philosophical, moral, economic, or a complex, nuanced combination of such reasons.
Traumatic experiences
Many suffered child abuse by the hands of their own parents and as such have little interest in parenthood, or the duplication of their family's genes. They also fear the continuation of the cycle of abuse or other defects in their parenting styles. or that the children might grow up to be immoral people. because there are parents who regret having children, leaving the childfree to deem the decision to "just try" to have children irresponsible. Some people do not feel the "biological clock" ticking and have no parental drives. On the other hand, some meet the right partners at too advanced an age to safely bear children. and the childbirth experience. Some are worried that an existing strained romantic relationship or marriage might be damaged beyond repair with the arrival of children, and this could be the case if one partner does not want children. In general, couples experience a drop in the level of happiness after having a baby, though the level depends on a variety of factors, In the long run, there is a gap in happiness between parents and the childfree in favor of the latter, even in places with generous programs to support working parents. On average, unmarried women with no children are among the happiest in society. Marriage for men is correlated with higher income, greater life expectancy, and more happiness. Both men and women who are married benefit from financial and emotional support.
Effective altruism
Some find it sufficient to spend time with their nephews, nieces or stepchildren, and to nourish existing friendships, Some also take care of elderly parents. Some childfree individuals consider themselves to be already working for the benefit of the next generation or of humanity as a whole by making charitable donations, or working as schoolteachers or pediatricians. are mentally ill, Even among healthy couples, new parents are often sleep-deprived. accelerated cellular aging, and even death.
Substantial neurological changes during and following pregnancy could lead to sentiments of insecurity and inadequacy, postpartum depression, something men might also face. This information is traditionally not provided to parents in advance to avoid frightening them. whereupon support for traditional gender roles declines Consequently, people who choose to have children tend to have fewer of them, and an increasing number prefer to be childfree. Furthermore, the cost of raising a child tends to be quite high as a society industrializes and urbanizes. But the cost of raising a child is, for most, not as important as the desire for personal growth and fulfillment.
As parenthood loses its appeal, pets gain in popularity, at least among those who wish to have something or someone to care for. In South Korea, young couples of the 2010s are more likely to have pets, which are cheaper than children.
In the West, members of the countercultural or feminist movements in the 1960s and 1970s typically had no children. They disapproved of how women were treated differently from men. Among radical feminists, the traditional family is viewed "a decadent, energy-absorbing, destructive, wasteful institution." Similarly, in China, a socially conservative and patriarchal country, women have become much less interested in marriage and children, viewing these as burdens. As philosopher David Benatar explains, at the heart of the decision to bring a child into the world often lies the parents' own desires (to enjoy child-rearing or perpetuate one's legacy or genes), rather than the potential person's interests. At the very least, Benatar believes this illustrates why a childfree person may be just as altruistic as any parent. They will also have more time to focus on themselves, which will allow for greater creativity and the exploration of personal ambitions. In this way, they may benefit themselves and society more than if they had a child, and describe the joys and freedoms of childfree living, freedoms such as travel previously associated with males in Western culture.
Cost of raising a child
Voluntary childlessness can be due to economic reasons.
Existing burdens of taxes and debts are already great for many, Even among those who are not facing dire financial circumstances, not having a child means more savings. A lack of adequate support for working mothers is a major concern for women. The cost of raising a child may simply be high.
Pension sustainability
Most countries have a pay-as-you-go pension system which depends on the total fertility rate to be sustainable. Higher pension contributions by voluntary childless individuals increases the sustainability of pay-as-you-go pension systems, for example in the German long-term care insurance.
Existential considerations
thumb|Antinatalists such as philosopher [[Arthur Schopenhauer argued that having children is inherently wrong because life is full of suffering.]]
Some people face general existential angst due to the state of the world (pestilence, war, famine, economic recession, the breakdown of civilization, among other issues) or the politics of their countries, and therefore question whether having children is a positive contribution. The human population has grown significantly since the start of the Industrial Revolution, leading many to believe that overpopulation has become a serious problem and some to question the fairness of what in their view amounts to subsidies for having children—such as tax credits for parents (such as the Earned Income Tax Credit in the United States), paid parental leave, and public education—as well as social welfare programs that require more people to be born to ensure said programs can be funded by taxes.
Another school of thought known as antinatalism asserts that it is inherently immoral to bring people into the world. Antinatalists argue in favor of the asymmetry of pleasure and pain, viewing the absence of pleasure as neutral whereas the absence of pain is positive. For them, refraining from reproduction can be thought of as a form of compassion for the unborn.
High expectations of parents
Modern societies often have high expectations of parents, which some people consider distasteful. In countries where having children out of wedlock is either highly unusual or socially ostracized, such as China, having trouble getting married is a reason why most choose to not have children. There are some debates within religious groups about whether a childfree lifestyle is acceptable. Another view, for example, is that the biblical verse "Be fruitful and multiply" in Genesis 1:28, is not a command but an expression of blessing.
Alternatively, some Christians believe that Genesis 1:28 is a moral command but nonetheless believe that voluntary childlessness is ethical if a higher ethical principle intervenes to make child bearing imprudent in comparison. Health concerns, a calling to serve orphans, serving as missionaries in a dangerous location, etc., are all examples that would make childbearing imprudent for a Christian. A small activist group, the Cyber-Church of Jesus Christ Childfree, defends this view, saying "Jesus loved children but chose to never have any, so that he could devote his life to telling the Good News."
Social pressure
People who express the fact that they have voluntarily chosen to remain childfree are frequently subjected to discrimination or pressure to change their minds.
Some women interviewed by the BBC have argued that revealing their decision to not have children was akin to coming out as gay in the mid-20th century, while others avoided such conversations to avoid social pressure to change their decision. that they would make good mothers, that they have not yet met the "right" man, or are assumed to be infertile rather than having made a conscious decision not to make use of their fertility. Many parents pressure their children into producing grandchildren and threaten to or actually disown them if they do not.
While parents are generally warmer towards other parents, childfree individuals are neutral towards each other. With being uninterested in having children as the only thing in common, childfree people generally find it more challenging to organize for a social or political cause, with the possible exception of when they, as voters, are collectively threatened with discriminatory policies or the loss of family-planning resources. As Rebecca Solnit explains in her book The Mother of All Questions (2017), "The problem may be a literary one: we are given a single story line about what makes a good life, even though not a few who follow that story line have bad lives. We speak as though there is one good plot with one happy outcome, while the myriad forms a life can take flower—and wither—all around us." The "life" aspect of the work-life balance is often taken to mean parenting. Non-parents, including the childfree, are thus assumed to be career-focused and willing to work extra time, which is not necessarily the case. What they do with their free time is not considered as important.
As such, childless individuals often work longer hours than parents. In fact, both parents and non-parents tend to think that parents are generally treated better at work. Some parents argue that they deserve special treatment for raising future workers and taxpayers. During the summer, requests for vacation leave from parents are typically approved quickly while the childfree are generally expected to stay behind to cover the workload. To alleviate friction and to maintain goodwill, some employers have offered everyone paid leave at the same time. Russia is the first nation in the world to pass such a law.
Organizations and political activism
Childfree individuals do not necessarily share a unified political or economic philosophy, and most prominent childfree organizations tend to be social in nature. Childfree social groups first emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, most notable among them the National Alliance for Optional Parenthood and No Kidding! in North America where numerous books have been written about childfree people and where a range of social positions related to childfree interests have developed along with political and social activism in support of these interests. The term "childfree" was used in a July 3, 1972 Time article on the creation of the National Organization for Non-Parents. It was revived in the 1990s when Leslie Lafayette formed a later childfree group, the Childfree Network.
The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT, pronounced 'vehement') is an environmental movement that calls for all people to abstain from reproduction to cause the gradual voluntary extinction of humankind. Despite its name, the movement also includes those who do not necessarily desire human extinction but do want to curb or reverse human population growth in the name of environmentalism. VHEMT was founded in 1991 by Les U. Knight, an American activist who became involved in the American environmental movement in the 1970s and thereafter concluded that human extinction was the best solution to the problems facing the Earth's biosphere and humanity.
In popular culture
Some characters from television programs such as Friends (1994–2004), Seinfeld (1989–1998), and Sex and the City (1998–2004) enjoy their lives without children. The character Rust Cohle from the television series True Detective (2014–19), upholds the anti-natalist philosophy.
The novel Olive (2020) by Emma Gannon includes several voluntarily childless characters.
By region
World
The childfree lifestyle had become a trend by 2014, Worldwide, higher educated women are statistically more likely to be childfree. But there are significant numbers of childfree individual in developing countries, too. In general, the prevalence of childfree individuals in a given society is positively correlated with its level of gender equality, political freedom, and especially human development. However, research into both voluntary and involuntary childlessness and parenthood has long focused on women's experiences, and men's perspectives are often overlooked.
Childfree people are significantly more likely to start or donate to charities, compared to parents or grandparents. Many also financially support the universities they attended. In the 1990s, the Chinese government reformed higher education in order to expand access, whereupon significantly more young people, a slight majority of whom being women, have since received a university degree. Consequently, many young women are now more likely to be gainfully employed and financially secure. But traditional views on gender roles persist, and women are expected to be responsible for housework and childcare, regardless of their employment status. For this reason, women have become less willing to have children. Workplace discrimination against women (with families) is commonplace; for example, an employer might be more skeptical towards a married woman with one child, fearing she might have another (as the one-child policy was rescinded in 2016) and take more maternity leave. Consequently, there is no strong incentive for young women to marry and have children. Moreover, the cost of living, especially the cost of housing in the big cities, is a serious obstacle to marriage. As the China continues to urbanize and as income per capita continues to rise, the demand for housing has correspondingly grown. However, a combination of income disparities and inadequate policies have made housing unaffordable for many young people. Because the traditional Chinese concept of marriage dictates housing is a prerequisite for marriage, especially for men, the housing shortage has led to a drop in marriage rates and also the desire to have children.
In the early twenty-first century, the traditional concept of marriage is no widely supported in China, and the younger generation's view of marriage has changed dramatically. For example, a traditional Chinese marriage secures inheritance fulfills sexual needs under the constraints of traditional morality. Today, premarital sex is no longer considered shameful or taboo while marriage is no longer considered important. In addition, Chinese Millennials are skeptical of the institution of marriage. Because this is a country where having children out of wedlock is quite rare, this means that many young people are foregoing children. Over half of Chinese youths aged 18 to 26 said they were uninterested in having children because of the high cost of child-rearing, according to a 2021 poll by the Communist Youth League. While the Chinese economy has improved steadily, an explosive bloom of the real-estate market post-2008 has triggered an increase in house prices disproportionate to income. This is the commonly cited reason for childlessness and "lying flat" among the Chinese youth. A normal apartment unit in Beijing (with an average area of 112 square meters), for instance, costs on average ¥7.31 million ($1.15 million), and one would need to work non-stop for at least 88.2 years at Beijing's average monthly income of ¥6906 ($1083.7) without any other expenditures. On the Internet, statements such as "no marriage, no children will make life happier" make obvious their negative views of marriage and reproduction.
Demographer Yi Fuxian estimated that China's fertility rate in 2025 was 0.98. China's population is rapidly aging. It is forecasted by that by the mid-twenty-first century, more than one-third of the population will be over 60 years of age. Of whom, more than 100 million will be over the age of 80. This means that there will be fewer than two working adults per senior citizen.
Japan
In Japan, while mothers are legally allowed to keep their careers, in practice, they are often forced to quit working. In addition, mothers face a lack of support from their employers in the form of flexible working hours. For these reasons, many Japanese women are childfree. In 2016, the average youth unemployment rate in South Korea was 9 to 10 percent. Unemployment can hurt mental health, and can even lead to depression, suicide, and other negative consequences. As a result, employment pressures have reduced young Koreans' hopes for marriage and childbirth.
As for cultural change, South Korean youths no longer deem marriage to be necessary, while contemporary young South Korean women are increasingly unwilling to sacrifice their own needs and aspirations in order to help their husbands to succeed in the labor market. South Korean women have a high percentage of higher education, yet they have very low graduation and employment rates. This is because the proportion of Korean women who have lost their jobs is very high. They have been married, given birth, and raised a child. At the same time, due to the lack of equal treatment in the workplace and at home, young Korean women's desire to have children continues to decline, once becoming one of the lowest fertility rates. In addition, the heavy demands of Confucian family values have also led to a tense relationship between the rigid obligations of marital life and the socioeconomic reality of young people. Because in Korea, Confucian traditions have a great and lasting influence on women's roles, deeply affecting Korean culture and society. Transitioning to a dual-income family means that young women will find it challenging to strike a balance between their responsibilities at work and at home. For this reason, working Korean women who choose to be mothers typically prefer to have very few children.
Vietnam
As Vietnam continues to industrialize and urbanize, many couples have chosen to have fewer children, or none at all, especially in better developed and more densely populated places, such as Ho Chi Minh City, where the fertility rate fell to 1.45 in 2015, well below replacement. Rising cost of living and tiredness from work are among the reasons why. By 2023, polls show that significant numbers of married Vietnamese are choosing to not have children in order to focus on their lives and careers, or because they are wary of the demands of parenthood.
Europe
In Europe, childlessness among women aged 40–44 is most common in Austria, Spain and the United Kingdom (in 2010–2011). Among surveyed countries, childlessness was least common across Eastern European countries, especially Turkey,