More than 1 in 10 Belgians don't want children

More than 1 in 10 Belgians don't want children

A little over 1 in 10 Belgians do not want to have children, according to a new study from the Free University of Brussels (VUB). VUB researchers Mark Elchardus and Petrus te Braak surveyed 1,951 Belgians between the ages of 25 and 35 for their study. They found that 13% of the respondents did not want to have children. The researchers also discovered that more men (16%) than women (11%) wish to remain childfree.

According to the researchers, a number of socio-economic factors appear to underlie the decision not to want to have children. Low-skilled workers are more likely to want to remain childfree than highly educated professionals. Being single and being career-oriented also makes it more likely that Belgians won’t want to have children.

“Circumstantial factors play a decisive role. That’s why it’s entirely possible that millennials with a lower socio-economic status and training would want to have children under different circumstances,” te Braak told the Dutch-language newspaper De Standaard.

Tomorrow, August 6, will mark International Childfree Day, a day in recognition of childfree adults and their lives

Linda A. Thompson
The Brussels Times


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