INED reports that 12.2% of French adults now say they don’t want children—double the number in 2005. Among 18–29-year-olds, the figure is even higher.
France’s historically high birth rate is declining, with growing numbers of people choosing to have fewer children or none at all, according to new research by national demography institute INED.
The shift reflects changing social norms, economic pressures, and personal aspirations, especially among the younger generation.
Bettina Zourli, a 31-year-old feminist writer behind the Instagram page @jeneveuxpasdenfant, says, “People told me that I was bound to change my mind, that it was in the female nature to want children.” Her stance resonates with many in France today.
INED reports that 12.2% of French adults now say they don’t want children—double the number in 2005. Among 18–29-year-olds, the figure is even higher.
Demographer Didier Breton says it’s less about rejection of parenthood and more about freedom. “Twenty years ago, it was less acceptable for people to say they didn’t want children,” he noted.
Sociologist Charlotte Debest adds, “Gender inequality is a major factor in women’s stance,” citing unequal domestic roles and rising ecological concerns.
France’s fertility rate fell to 1.62 in 2024, its lowest since WWI. “We are witnessing the erosion of the three-child family model,” said Breton.