One of the largest surveys of its kind offers a rare global snapshot of young adults’ hopes, pressures and decisions around partnerships, family and the future
UNITED NATIONS, New York, 7 July 2026 — A new UNFPA survey of more than 108,000 internet-connected young adults across 73 countries and territories offers a revealing insight into what young people today want regarding relationships, children and the future — and what they feel is standing in the way. The results of UNFPA’s Demographic Futures Survey are published today in its report Lives, Choices and Futures: What young people want and what shapes their decisions about relationships and parenthood.
These findings come as fertility rates are falling across much of the world, intensifying debate about how governments should respond to demographic change. A majority of respondents want to find a partner, get married and have children. Marriage is cited as the ideal for two thirds of all respondents, and a small minority of people say they want to have no children. The highest-rated factors shaping whether young adults feel ready to become a parent were financial security, cited as important by 88 per cent of respondents; stable employment, cited by 87 per cent; and emotional readiness, cited by 85 per cent.
“Young people carry an inspiring sense of hope and a clear vision for their families and futures,” said Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA. “When we break down financial barriers and support their agency, they can make the choices that are right for them. By investing in their dreams today, we are building a more resilient and thriving tomorrow.”
The report shows that decisions about partnership and parenthood are not simply determined by people’s aspirations or personal values. They are closely linked to the conditions in which young adults are trying to build their lives — from finding partners and affording housing to securing stable work, sharing care responsibilities and feeling supported enough to make free and confident choices about their futures.
The findings also point to a mismatch between public anxieties over birth rates and the personal reasons young adults give for wanting children. Eight in ten respondents identified the joy and happiness children bring as a key motivation for parenthood, while government encouragement and the idea of contributing to the future workforce ranked among the lowest-rated motivations.
The findings of the report suggest that debates over fertility and demographic change may be asking too narrow a question: not whether young people value family life, but what conditions are needed to help them build the relationships, families and futures they want.
The survey paints a picture of hope under pressure. Two thirds of respondents reported feeling somewhat or very positive about the future, even as conflict and security risks, economic insecurity and inequality weighed heavily on their lives and decisions.
Note to editors:
UNFPA works with governments to strengthen the evidence base for demographic policy and rights-based responses to demographic change. This includes helping countries understand population trends, address barriers to reproductive autonomy, invest in young people’s capabilities, promote gender equality, and build stronger social support systems, from reproductive health services and social protection to childcare, parental leave, flexible working arrangements and a more equitable distribution of unpaid care work.
The report builds on the 2025 State of World Population report, which examined reproductive agency and the barriers that prevent people from having the number of children they want, when they want them. The Demographic Futures Survey looks earlier in people’s lives, focusing on young adults who are still making decisions about relationships, partnership and whether or when to have children, and expands the topics covered to partnerships and relationships and broader life goals alongside fertility. The upcoming 2026 State of World Population report will further analyse the findings of the Demographic Futures Survey and offer recommendations on how we can best support young people to realize their partnership, reproductive and broader life goals.
The Demographic Futures Survey collected data from 108,926 Internet-connected young adults aged 18 to 39 across 73 countries and territories. The survey is not statistically representative of global, regional or national populations. While the data have been weighted by sex, age and educational attainment, the results should not be interpreted as population-level estimates. Rather, they provide comparative insights into the aspirations, perceptions and reported experiences of the surveyed group across diverse global contexts.
Editor’s note: This press release has been updated to reflect minor revisions to the accompanying report PDF. The updated report revises references from “73 countries” to “73 countries and territories.” These changes do not affect the report’s findings or conclusions.
Media contacts:
Interviews with the report’s authors are available.
Please contact: Zina Alam; zialam@unfpa.org | media@unfpa.org
At a glance: Demographic Futures Survey
- Financial security matters most for partnership
81% identified financial security as important for forming a partnership. - Money and housing are the biggest reported barriers to relationships
57% rated economic and housing constraints as an important barrier to partnership. It is consistently the lead obstacle among all income and regional groups. - Marriage remains a common ideal
More than two thirds selected an ideal relationship and living arrangement that includes marriage — either before living together or after cohabitation. - Some want partnership, but are not dating
Among those aged 25–39 who ideally wish to marry or live with a partner, one quarter are currently single and not dating. This rises to 30% among men, compared with 19% among women. - Parenthood is tied to economic security and readiness
Top preconditions for feeling ready to become a parent:- 88% financially secure
- 87% stable employment
- 85% emotionally ready
- Money and housing are the biggest reported barriers to having children
72% rated economic and housing constraints as an important barrier. - Children are linked to joy, not national targets
80% identified the joy and happiness children bring as a key motivation for parenthood, while government encouragement and the idea of contributing to the future workforce ranked among the lowest-rated motivations. - Gender norms continue to shape family life
Surveyed young adults were more likely to disapprove of mothers with children under three working full-time than fathers in the same situation. Women also rated preconditions and barriers to having children as more important than men did.
Methodology note: The survey reflects the views of Internet-connected young adults aged 18–39 across 73 countries and territories. The findings are not nationally representative and should not be interpreted as population-level estimates. They provide comparative insights into the aspirations, perceptions and reported experiences of the surveyed group across diverse global contexts.
