The world is witnessing an unprecedented global fertility decline, a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed. The report highlighted how economic pressures, time scarcity, and social shifts are preventing millions of people from having the number of children they desire.

Namrata Nangia, who was interviewed by the BBC and lives in Mumbai, works in the pharmaceutical sector, and has considered having a second child since her daughter was born five years ago. But the financial burden of raising one child, school fees, transportation, extracurriculars, and healthcare has kept that decision on hold. “We just used to go to school, nothing extracurricular,” she told the BBC.

“Now you have to send your kid to swimming, drawing, and everything else.”

Namrata’s experience reflects a global trend, as revealed in the UNFPA fertility report, reviewed by the BBC. Surveying 14,000 people across 14 countries, the fund found that one in five respondents had not or did not expect to have their desired number of children. Countries included South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Germany, the US, and India, covering a range of income levels and fertility rates.

Dr. Natalia Kanem, head of the UNFPA, said the findings mark a pivotal shift in global demographics.

“Most people surveyed want two or more children. Fertility rates are falling in large part because many feel unable to create the families they want. And that is the real crisis,” she explained.

Socioeconomic barriers outweigh biological limits in shaping family size

According to the BBC, the fertility intentions survey revealed that 39% of respondents cited financial constraints as a primary reason for not expanding their families. In countries like South Korea, the figure climbed to 58%, compared to just 19% in Sweden. A lack of time was also a major factor, often more significant than biological limitations.

Surprisingly, only 12% of those surveyed cited infertility or difficulty conceiving as a key barrier. Still, this number was higher in several countries, including Thailand (19%), the US (16%), South Africa (15%), Nigeria (14%), and India (13%), reported the BBC.

Different form of reproductive inequality

The UNFPA noted that this is the first time the agency has taken such a strong position on low fertility. Historically, it focused on preventing unintended pregnancies and addressing the “unmet need” for contraception. But now, falling birth rates are drawing attention to a different form of reproductive inequality: people unable to have the children they want due to external pressures.

According to the BBC, demographers like Professor Stuart Gietel-Basten and Dr. Anna Rotkirch emphasized that reproductive barriers are now deeply intertwined with economic/social policy. They warned against panic-driven population policies, noting how past fears of overpopulation in countries like China and South Korea have since reversed into concerns about demographic stagnation.

Back in Mumbai, Namrata captures the emotional toll behind these trends. She spends at least three hours commuting each day and returns home exhausted, often struggling to balance her professional and maternal roles, according to the BBC.

“Obviously you have that guilt, being a mom, that you’re not spending enough time with your kid,” she says. “So, we’re just going to focus on one.”

The BBC reports that while experts warn against panic-driven population policies amid shifting demographics, stories like Namrata’s in Mumbai reveal the personal strain of economic and social pressures shaping modern reproductive choices.