More Americans are holding off on having children, survey finds
Since 2005, the average age of a first-time mother has risen by about two and a half years.
(InvestigateTV) — A new survey from MarketWatch Guides found 86% of American couples without kids are prioritizing other life goals over having children.
According to Matt Brannon, a data journalist with MarketWatch Guides, two-thirds of those surveyed said maintaining their health is more important than having children. And about 90% said not having kids really improved their relationship.
“So maybe it’s spending more time together, having less stress or having more financial resources, which was another big part of the survey,” Brannon observed. “In terms of financial priorities, we found that simply put, some couples are more focused on making money than making babies.”
Finances are partially to blame – 41% of those surveyed said the cost of living is too high right now for parenthood.
“And that’s not to say these people are like Scrooge McDuck, who are just trying to hoard wealth,” he noted. It’s more like they’re keenly aware of how expensive raising a child is. 88% of those we surveyed said raising a kid costs more money today than it has in the past.”
Estimates put the costs of raising a child to the age of 18 at over $300,000.
Brannon said at a time when many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, the thought of spending over a quarter million dollars is just too daunting for some.
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