Californians are twice as likely as Louisianans to be childfree—but demographics tell more of the story
Across the United States, the number of people who do not have and do not want to have children is growing. While they are twice as likely to live in California as Louisiana, individual demographic characteristics are the strongest predictors of who is childfree, according to a study published in PLOS One by Zachary Neal and Jennifer Watling Neal from Michigan State University, U.S.
In the United States, the number of childfree individuals is on the rise, according to a study published in PLOS One. Zachary Neal and Jennifer Watling Neal from Michigan State University found that the prevalence of childfree adults varies significantly across states, from 22% in California to 9.4% in Louisiana. While state-level factors such as population size, economic conditions, and public education policies appear to influence childfree populations, individual demographic characteristics like being single, older, and male are the strongest predictors of being childfree.
The study used data from the Civic Health and Institutions Project, analyzing responses from 20,118 U.S. adults surveyed between August and October 2024. Despite the variation across states, childfree populations are not concentrated in specific regions like the Northeast or Southwest. The researchers conclude that individual factors are more influential in determining whether someone remains childfree, suggesting that state policies aimed at encouraging population growth may have limited effectiveness.
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