One week after the Pew Research Center said fewer Americans want to have children, the nonpartisan think tank said almost half of U.S. adults think it will have a negative impact on the country.

Men, older adults, Republicans and Americans with high incomes were most likely to say fewer children would negatively impact the U.S.

What You Need To Know

  • 47% of respondents in a new Pew Research Center survey said fewer Americans having children will have a negative impact on the country

  • Last week, the Pew Research Center reported that 47% of U.S. adults younger than 50 said they are unlikely to have children — a 10% increase from five years earlier

  • Their most common reason: they just don’t want to

  • About 60% of respondents in a new survey released Friday said free child care would be very or extremely effective in encouraging more people to have children

The follow-up survey comes after 47% of U.S. adults younger than 50 said they are unlikely to have children — a 10% increase compared with five years earlier. Their most common reason: they just don’t want to.

About 60% of respondents in a new survey released Friday said free child care would be very or extremely effective in encouraging more people to have children. Slightly more than half (51%) said requiring employers to provide paid family leave would be highly effective, while 49% said providing more tax credits for parents would be extremely or very effective. Forty-five percent said giving parents of minor children a monthly payment would help.

Pew researchers noted that attitudes varied by political orientation. More Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said providing free child care (72%), requiring employers to provide paid family leave (61%), providing more tax credits for parents (54%) and giving parents of minor children a monthly payment (54%) would be effective at encouraging people to have kids.

The only policy with 50% support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents was providing free child are. The other policies all polled with fewer than half approving.

Republican women, however, were more likely than Republican men to say providing free child care (56%) and requiring employers to provide paid family leave (47%) would be effective.  Republicans under 30 were even more likely to say free child care (69%) and paid family leave (63%) would be helpful.

Among Democrats, those under the age of 50 were more likely than those older than 50 to say requiring employers to provide paid family leave (66%) and giving parents of minor children a monthly payment (61%) would be effective.