Switzerland birth rate hits record low as more desire to stay childless

Switzerland is experiencing its lowest birth rate on record, with an average of less than two children per mother, and studies indicate that a societal decrease in the desire to have children is part of the equation. 

Key Takeaways: 

• According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), families not desiring a third child have led the way in the birth rate decline.

• However, the birth rate is falling overall, regardless of whether it is a couple's first, second, or third baby.

• The desire to have children has been dropping — not just in Switzerland, but also around the world.

The Details:

SWI Swissinfo.ch recently reported that, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), third child births have fallen by 13%, first births by 8.5%, and second births by 9% in recent years.

Among women aged 20-29, the desire to remain childless nearly tripled over a decade, from just 6% in 2013 to 17% in 2023. Even among 30-39 year olds, the percentage more than doubled, jumping from 9% to 16%. 

Interestingly, the article noted:

The desire to have two children is still the most common. According to the FSO, the desired number of children hardly changed across different population groups. There is hardly any difference between women and men, and there are also only minor differences according to level of education, language region or between urban and rural areas. Only people without a stable partnership are more likely not to want to have children.

Overall, adults are reporting fears that having children will have negative career repercussions; they also believe a family would not add to their happiness, but instead cause more stress.

Zoom Out:

The GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, known as Switzerland's oldest "think tank," conducted a study in August of 2024 titled "Unbundling the Family." It found that "job satisfaction, personal independence and other life goals are increasingly taking priority over starting a family."

In their study, they asked the participants to rate what was most important to them when it comes to their idea of a "fulfilled life." Some of the responses are listed below:

• Most popular response - 86.2%: "Having a job that is enjoyable"

• Second most popular response - 83.4%: "Being in a happy relationship"

• Further down the list - 64.9%: "Having children"

"Being married" was only a priority for 36.5% of the participants. 

This study also noted that a 2021 survey in the United States found that 44% of childless adults aged between 18 and 49 wish to remain childless — a 7% increase from three years prior. The survey reported:

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that a rising share of U.S. adults who are not already parents say they are unlikely to ever have children, and their reasons range from just not wanting to have kids to concerns about climate change and the environment.

The survey noted that a majority of childless adults (56%) say they prefer to remain childless simply because they do not want children. The survey added:

Among childless adults who say they have some other reason for thinking they won’t have kids in the future, no single reason stands out. About two-in-ten (19%) say it’s due to medical reasons, 17% say it’s for financial reasons and 15% say it’s because they do not have a partner. Roughly one-in-ten say their age or their partner’s age (10%) or the state of the world (9%) is a reason they don’t plan to have kids. An additional 5% cite environmental reasons, including climate change, and 2% say their partner doesn’t want children.

Why It Matters:

Aside from the obvious signs of inflation and cost of living increases, it seems there is an underlying new belief that marriage and parenting isn’t the joy and privilege it once was perceived as, and now is looked at as a burden and hindrance to personal freedoms. An article from MSN pointed out:

Gen Z has a more progressive view on marriage than previous generations. They are more likely to believe that marriage should be between two people who love and respect each other, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. They are also more likely to believe that marriage is not necessary for a happy and fulfilling relationship.

This particular article also brings up the largely held misconception that pro-life laws put the lives of pregnant women at risk, and deprive them of needed health care. All of this is very disconcerting to those who see children as a blessing, and who fight for their rights despite societal pushback. 

The Bottom Line: 

As Mother Teresa once said, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

A focus on the self is robbing many people of the richness and learning experience of investing in future generations as parents. This pervasive attitude is not only tragic, but is also setting societies on the course toward demographic collapse.

As pro-lifers continue to advocate for laws that protect the preborn, we must also encourage and support parents after birth (some options are paid medical leave, affordable housing, and increasing the funding for community pregnancy resource centers). We can also use our voices to share positive parenting stories, highlighting the value that children bring to the world.