53% of Americans think not having kids is bad for nation: Pew Research poll

The poll found that 53 percent of Americans say a decline in people choosing to have children in the future would have a negative impact, up 6 percent from 2024. Despite this, 56 percent say the federal government should have no role in encouraging people to have children, while only 32 percent believe it should play either a major or minor role.

The results show that there is a clear partisan divide on the topic. 63 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents said declining birth rates would have a negative impact, compared to only 44 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.

Women and Democrats were more likely than men and Republicans to oppose government involvement in encouraging childbearing. Pew noted that 63 percent of women, compared to 48 percent of men, said the government should stay out of the issue. By party, 60 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans said the same.

Within each party, women were significantly more opposed to government involvement than men. Majorities of Republican women (58 percent) and Democratic women (68 percent) rejected government action, compared with 45 percent of Republican men and 51 percent of Democratic men.

Among those who said the government should have some role, the majority supported multiple forms of incentive programs, such as tax credits for parents, paid family leave, and free child care.

The poll comes as concern over the nation’s declining birth rates has grown. Data released earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the fertility rate in the US has fallen to an all-time low of just under 1.6 children per woman.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has repeatedly warned about the issue, posting in April on X that “Low birth rates will end civilization” alongside data showing falling fertility trends in the country.