UN Report Reveals Economic and Social Barriers Behind Declining Birth Rates

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe and key partners has launched its flagship 2025 State of World Population Report revealing a global decline in fertility rates driven not by personal choice but by mounting economic and social pressures.

Titled “The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World” the report finds that millions of people across the globe are having fewer children than they desire.

According to the study, 1 in 5 individuals expect not to achieve their desired family size largely due to barriers such as job insecurity, the high cost of parenting and healthcare and the lack of suitable partners.

“Vast numbers of people are unable to create the families they want. The issue is lack of choice, not desire, with major consequences for individuals and societies. That is the real fertility crisis,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA.

The findings resonate in Zimbabwe, where national fertility rates have been gradually declining.

The country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen from 4.3 children per woman in 1994 to 3.9 according to the 2023-24 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey.

Fertility rates remain higher in rural areas (TFR 4.6) than in urban centres (TFR 3.1).

In his keynote address, Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, affirmed the government’s commitment to reproductive autonomy.

“The Government of Zimbabwe upholds reproductive rights, empowering individuals to choose the number, timing, and spacing of children they want to have, free from coercion,” he said.

The report highlights that household wealth strongly influences fertility patterns. Women in the lowest wealth quintile have on average 5.5 children, compared to 2.6 among the wealthiest.

 Women with greater financial resources tend to delay childbearing with a three-year gap in average age at first birth compared to their less affluent peers.

Dr. Jo Abbot, UK Development Director and Deputy Head of Mission, noted: “This report is a wake-up call. When people are unable to have the families, they want due to economic or social barriers, it’s not just a personal loss – it’s a development challenge.”

UNFPA calls for increased investment in affordable housing, paid parental leave, decent work opportunities, and accessible reproductive health services to close the fertility gap.

“This report underscores a critical truth. When economic precarity, gender inequality, and societal pressures limit choices, we face a real fertility crisis,” said UNFPA Country Representative Miranda Tabifor.