Birth rate decline, not just individual will: a set of economic and social factors at the base

Parents yes, but at a high price. The now chronic phenomenon of the declining birth rate , which affects and worries our society, would not be caused so much by the decrease in the desire for motherhood and fatherhood but above all by a complex set of economic, social, cultural factors , which go well beyond individual will. This is what emerges from the FragilItalia report “Having a child today” , created by Area Studi Legacoop in collaboration with Ipsos , based on the results of a survey conducted on a representative sample of the Italian population to test their opinions on the topic.

While more than a third of young people under 35 want to have two children , compared to a similar survey conducted two years ago, the percentage of those who limit themselves to wanting just one (24%) or give up the prospect of becoming a parent altogether (25%) is increasing. In essence, there is a clear change in the emotional experience linked to parenthood: joy , while remaining the prevalent emotion (at 50%), is down by 9 percentage points, while worry (at 31%, but 44% in the working class) and anxiety (at 23%, but 31% in the working class) are increasing. Among the under 30s, worry and anxiety affect 38% and 30% respectively.

"The news is that it is not so much or only the lack of desire that contributes to the low birth rate, but an economic and social context that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to transform that desire into a concrete choice - observes the president of Legacoop Simone Gamberini - so people find themselves forced to choose between work and parenthood, in a system that offers neither economic certainties nor adequate services".

The report aims to highlight the factors that can most influence the choice not to have children. First of all, economic reasons : from low salaries and the rising cost of living (91%) to the lack of job stability and a work organization incompatible with the idea of ​​having children (89%), from the objective difficulty in reconciling work and family (88%) to the lack of economic support from the State (84%). Other problems indicated also include education costs and the lack of adequate public support to deal with raising children; for women, the fear of losing one's job is still too strong. Young people and the lower-middle class, in particular, express greater distrust towards a system that does not seem able to guarantee stability and prospects.

Other social issues that contribute to the choice not to have children include the difficulty of reconciling work and family (87%, rising to 91% among under 30s), the lack of parenting support services such as nurseries and full-time schools (83%), the lack of family-friendly policies in the workplace, and the disappearance of the “traditional” family where grandparents looked after their grandchildren.

Among the obstacles, psychological factors also emerge, such as the fear of parental responsibilities (73%, but 80% in the working class), the desire to maintain the current lifestyle and the lack of sufficient stability in one's sentimental relationship.

The report also shows a significant incidence of cultural and social motivations that demonstrate a radical change in this sense: the desire for greater personal freedom (74%), the need to focus on one's personal fulfillment (72%), the fear of losing one's lightheartedness and having too many constraints (71%) and, in general, the growth of individualism and the lack of desire to make sacrifices (69%).

Moreover, the same social role of having children, recognized by 3 out of 4 interviewees, is accompanied by the strong belief (70% of indications, which rises to 74% in the under 30s) that personal fulfillment does not depend on parenthood and that the world is too uncertain to bring children into the world (69%, but a good 75% in the under 30s).

Finally, the impact of a child on work , which unfortunately highlights the still deep differences in perception related to gender: it is mostly women who experience motherhood as a turning point, often of sacrifice, in their working career. The data speaks clearly and is alarming: 81% of women fear leaving their job (81%) and 80% fear reducing their hours or giving up possible career advancements. These numbers are still unacceptable, even if, compared to two years ago, the perception of the difficulties of work-life balance has improved, increasing, however, the idea that it is mostly men who change jobs to increase family income.

"A gender gap that is still deep , which translates into a loss not only of equity, but also of growth and social cohesion. Low birth rates and inequalities - Gamberini underlines - not only due to a lack of desire, but of conditions. We need an economic and social pact that puts decent work, support for parenthood and gender equality at the center. Birth rates are not just a private matter, but a collective responsibility. If such a large percentage of women fear losing their jobs because of a child, the problem is the country's, not the mothers'. Investing in young people, families and women - he concludes - means investing in Italy's future".