The Baby Budget: Growing a Family vs. Managing Everyday Life

The latest report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has brought to light a reality that societies across the world can no longer ignore. Based on a study conducted in 14 countries, including India, the findings reveal a growing reluctance among today’s younger generation to expand their families.

happy-family-silhouette-sunset

The primary reasons?

Rising economic instability
The soaring costs of raising children

This report underscores a major demographic shift. More and more young people are delaying parenthood or choosing to have fewer or no children — not because they don’t value family, but because they are worried about financial survival in an uncertain economy.

In countries like India, where the traditional value of large families once held strong, the trend is clearly reversing. Young couples are increasingly prioritizing career stability, housing, healthcare, and quality of life over expanding their households.

Experts warn that this shift could have long-term implications — from ageing populations and shrinking workforces to economic slowdowns if fertility rates continue to decline.

Children are considered reflections of our future, but when their very birth becomes dependent on a family’s financial situation, it raises serious questions.
According to the report, 39% of people explicitly stated that financial difficulties are the reason they don’t want to have children. Among them, 58% are under the age of 35, the most active and fertile period of life. This number is not just a statistic; it is symbolic of a deeper social and psychological shift.

The story of Neelima and Shankar from Mumbai exemplifies this changing mindset. Both are working professionals, but after the birth of their daughter, they were overwhelmed by the costs of private hospital care, school fees, daycare expenses, and rent. They decided not to have a second child. And they are not alone — millions of young couples today are grappling with this very dilemma. In a country like India, where the family structure has long been a pillar of social security, this change is startling.

The decision not to have children is not driven solely by economic reasons, but also by biological and psychological factors.
Modern lifestyle, stress, pollution, and the increasing trend of late marriages are having adverse effects on fertility. In addition, social pressure, especially on women, affects mental health and makes the decision to expand a family even more challenging.

The report also notes that 31% of participants aged over 50 said that if they could live their lives again in today’s world, they might choose not to have children. This reflects a generational shift in perception — where children were once seen as a social responsibility, they are now viewed as a costly “emotional investment.”

Among today’s youth, career, travel, self-reliance, and personal freedom have become far more important than before. They see raising a child not only as a financial burden, but also as a brake on their personal pace of life.

This is not just a social trend; it has become a failure of public policy. Government schemes like the Maternity Benefit Scheme, Ayushman Bharat, and Child Protection programs look grand on paper but often fail in effective ground-level implementation.
The cost of healthcare, private schooling, nutrition, security, and digital access — all combined — places a crushing burden on middle-class families.

There was a time in society when giving birth was seen as a moral, social, and cultural imperative. Today, that belief is crumbling like a house of cards. Even the slogan “Hum Do, Hamare Do” (We two, our two) now feels like an expensive deal.

If the young generation is beginning to see children as a burden on the future, then it is not just their defeat — it is a defeat for the entire society.
The time for change has come — where the decision to have a child should be a freedom, not a fear; a blessing, not a burden.