Gen Z still wants children, but climate fears and distrust in institutions are weighing on family plans
Most young Australians still want children. That is the central finding from a new longitudinal study, even as the country’s fertility rate fell to a
Most young Australians still want children. That is the central finding from a new longitudinal study, even as the country’s fertility rate fell to a record low in 2024.
What is holding them back is not only money. Housing costs and harder economic conditions matter, but many in Generation Z say worries about the climate and a lack of trust in public institutions are shaping how they think about parenthood.
Plans for families remain intact
The Australian Institute of Family Studies followed about 8,000 people in Generation Z and found that 71% of those surveyed in both age groups — 19-20 and 23-24 — hope to have children. Only 17% said they do not want them, while 13% said they had not yet decided.
The pattern cuts against a simple story that young adults have given up on family life. They have not. But many are looking at the future with caution, and that hesitation is seeping into decisions about when, and whether, to become parents.
Study lead Kirsten Campbell said the findings show a strong interest in forming families, but also a broader concern about social cohesion, environmental damage and trust in public institutions.
Climate and trust weigh more than rent
In the study, about half of respondents in each age group said lack of trust in public institutions and climate concerns were influencing their thoughts about becoming parents. That included concerns about institutions such as hospitals, police, education, legal and social welfare systems.
Those worries did not stop many from still intending to have children. They did, however, sit alongside the more obvious pressure of unaffordable housing and tough economic times.
The result matters beyond Australia. Fertility rates have been falling in many wealthy countries, and younger adults elsewhere are also delaying childbearing as housing, climate anxiety and confidence in institutions shape life plans. The Australian data suggests that low birth rates do not always mean a rejection of parenthood. Sometimes they reflect uncertainty about the world children would inherit.
Record-low births, but not a rejection of parenthood
Australia’s birth rate hit an all-time low in 2024. That decline has sharpened concerns about long-term population trends, but the new study points to a more complicated picture: young adults still want families, even if they are less sure about the future around them.
For policymakers, that is the hard part. Making housing affordable may help. Restoring trust in public systems and easing fears about climate damage may matter too. The study suggests the demographic challenge is not just about money, but about confidence.
And the numbers still lean toward parenthood: 71% hope to have children. That is the figure to watch.
