NEW YORK, 10 June, 2025 – Millions of people are unable to have the number of children they want, but not because they are rejecting parenthood; economic and social barriers are stopping them. This is the central finding of UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population report, “The real fertility crisis: The pursuit of reproductive agency in a changing world”.

Drawing on academic research and new data from a UNFPA/YouGov survey spanning 14 countries – together home to over a third of the global population – the report finds that one in five people globally expect to not have the number of children they desire. Key drivers include the prohibitive cost of parenthood, job insecurity, housing, concerns over the state of the world, and the lack of a suitable partner. A toxic blend of economic precarity and sexism play a role in many of these issues, the report shows.

“Vast numbers of people are unable to create the families they want,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA. “The issue is lack of choice, not desire, with major consequences for individuals and societies. That is the real fertility crisis, and the answer lies in responding to what people say they need: paid family leave, affordable fertility care, and supportive partners.”

The data paints a stark picture:

• More than half of people said economic issues were a barrier to having as many children as they wanted.
• 1 in 5 people report having been pressured to have children when they didn’t want to.
• 1 in 3 adults have experienced an unintended pregnancy.
• 11% say that unequal caregiving burdens would undermine their ability to have children.

The Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean

In Latin America and the Caribbean there is significant demographic diversity among and within countries. Some countries still have young populations and can capitalize on the opportunities that arise from having more people of working age than dependents. In others, with aging populations, it is essential to invest in comprehensive care systems and create conditions for young people to reach their full potential.

In this context, survey results conducted for the report reveal that 28% of respondents in Brazil and 21% in Mexico do not achieve their desired number of children. 

Brazil also shows high levels of unintended pregnancies. Nearly 40% of interviewed adults or their partners have experienced at least one. In Mexico, that figure reaches around 22% of respondents. 

More than 21% of women surveyed in Brazil and 19% of women in Mexico have felt external pressure to become pregnant, which may reflect how cultural and social norms continue to reinforce traditional gender roles.

According to Susana Sottoli, UNFPA Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, persistent inequality and exclusion "limit the exercise of reproductive rights, access to quality health services, including sexual and reproductive health services, as well as opportunities to build life projects, according to personal or family desires."

Those most affected are women, girls, and adolescents living in poverty, and those who are rural, indigenous, and afrodescendant, who experience greater difficulties in exercising their reproductive agency. This concept goes beyond making individual decisions about one's own body. To exercise reproductive agency, the context must allow and facilitate these decisions to become a reality. 

"Therefore, the key is for States to provide the necessary conditions and options so that all people can realize their reproductive rights throughout their life cycle," says Sottoli.

The report warns against simplistic or coercive responses to declining fertility rates – such as baby bonuses, setbacks in sexual and reproductive rights, or campaigns that incentivize couples to have more children with the aim of meeting fertility targets – noting that these policies are largely ineffective and can violate human rights. 

Instead, UNFPA urges governments to address all barriers. This includes investing in affordable housing, decent work, parental leave for both parents, and the full range of reproductive health services and reliable information. Promoting gender equality is fundamental.

UNFPA also calls on societies to address all the ways that gender inequality undermines people’s family choices, including:

• Workplace norms that push women out of paid work
• Lack of paid flexible leave for men and stigma against engaged fathers
• Lack of affordable childcare
• Restrictions in reproductive rights, including contraception, abortion and fertility care
• Diverging gender attitudes held by young men and women, contributing to singlehood

A tailored mix of economic, social, and political measures will be needed in each country to help people form the families they want. Furthermore, the great demographic diversity in Latin America and the Caribbean can be a development opportunity for the region if inclusive public policies are implemented.

As policy makers consider how to navigate shifting population dynamics, UNFPA stands ready to support them in understanding the challenges they face, and designing solutions that will ensure rights and choices for all.

• You can access the UNFPA report “The real fertility crisis: The pursuit of reproductive agency in a changing world” here: unfpa.org/swp2025
• For more information about UNFPA, please visit: lac.unfpa.org

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Media contact:

• Norha Restrepo (Panamá): nrestrepo@unfpa.org; +507 6465 4591

About UNFPA and the State of World Population report:

As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA helps people obtain contraception and life-saving reproductive health services and information and empowers women and girls to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives. It also helps countries use population data to better understand and harness the opportunities that can come with demographic change.

The State of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication. Published yearly since 1978, it shines a light on emerging issues in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, bringing them into the mainstream and exploring the challenges and opportunities they present for international development.