A new study looks at what cultural factors do and don’t impact fertility rates—and found that “people with more willingness to take risks also intend to have more kids.” The data also shows that “where people are more willing to take risks, fertility is higher.” “Caution, anxiety, and safety-ism seem to be a key limiting factor on fertility,” notes the new “Baby Nudges” study, produced by the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute.
That’s not good news for the United States, where the number of births has plunged since 2007, when women were averaging 2.1 births. Now, women average 1.6 births. And while Gen Z may follow trad wives with big families on social media, it’s not looking promising for many of them to adopt a similar family size themselves.
Gen Z—which currently includes those aged 14 to 29—isn’t exactly known for embracing risks. “Young people … see a world that is fraying and deeply unsafe,” writes Gabriel Rubin, a Montclair State University professor who interviewed dozens of Gen Z adults.
“To Gen Z, risk is everywhere and the world is a scary and grim place.”