Amanda Porretto, 27, the average age for new mothers in the United States, remains uncertain about having children. Despite familial expectations, she said: “I just don't think I need to bring more people into (the world) when there's so much here currently that we need to fix.”
Her sentiment reflects a growing trend among younger generations of Americans, who increasingly cite climate change as a primary reason for their reluctance to have children. Concerns centre on raising offspring in a world with escalating extreme weather and the environmental impact their children might have.
A 2024 Lancet study of people aged 16 to 25 found that a majority were “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change, with 52 per cent admitting hesitation to have children because of it. A Pew Research Center report also published in 2024 found that adults under 50 without children were four times more likely than their over-50 counterparts to consider climate a factor in their decision.
Parenthood and climate change are linked not only by fears for a child's well-being but also concern for the planet. Nandita Bajaj, executive director of Population Balance, said: “Having a child is by far, by orders of magnitude, larger” than other carbon-emitting decisions. Bioethics professor Travis Rieder of Johns Hopkins University added that procreation creates a “carbon legacy” that lasts generations.
However, having fewer children is often not discussed as a climate action. Trevor Hedbert, who teaches moral philosophy at the University of Arizona, said that pregnancy is typically met with congratulations. Rieder noted that conversations about overpopulation have historically been tied to racism and eugenics, leading to backlash.
Ash Sanders, 43, knew she didn't want a baby but became pregnant. She said: “I didn’t want to add another person to the world and have them have more of an impact on a world that was already overstressed and strained by the number of humans that were here.”
