Are ‘one-and-done’ families the new normal?

In many countries, single-child households outnumber those with two or more children.

In the collective imagination, the nuclear family is symbolized by the presence of two children. But in reality, single-child households are becoming increasingly common throughout the world, particularly in Western societies.

In Europe, this family structure has become the majority: nearly one family in two has just one child.

In many countries, single-child households now outnumber those with two or more children. This family model is now integrated and accepted as a natural evolution of demographic patterns.

France is in the lower range of the European Union, with around 40% of families counting one child.

In the United States, the proportion is lower than in Europe: 22% of families had a single child in 2022, according to the National Council on Family Relations, reported by Business Insider. However, this figure has doubled since 1978.

Conversely, large families have become rare.

The one-child family is the fastest-growing configuration in the US, while in Canada, one-child families were most common, according to census data for 2021.

This trend can also be observed in East Asia, where the birth rate is plummeting.

According to projections by the French Institute for Demographic Studies, there would have been fewer than one birth per woman in South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong this year.

Life choices

Having just one child enables people to satisfy their desire for parenthood while maintaining a balance between their personal and professional lives.

The boom in one-and-done families across several continents can be explained by a combination of factors. Having just one child enables people to satisfy their desire for parenthood while maintaining a balance between their personal and professional lives.

Women are increasingly committed to their careers and, as a result, are having children later in life.

Women are increasingly committed to their careers; between a later entry into working life – due in particular to longer studies – and this prioritization of work, they often choose to postpone motherhood.

This trend is reflected in the statistics: the average age of women giving birth for the first time is rising steadily.

In France, women have their first child at an average age of 31, compared to 29.4 twenty years ago. And as women have children later in life, they logically have less time to have more than one.

There’s also a financial dimension: raising a child is becoming increasingly expensive.

Raising a child is becoming increasingly expensive. Over the past 50 years, the cost of raising a child has risen much faster than the average wage. In 2021, a quarter of American parents under 40 said they didn’t want more children for financial reasons, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the rise of one-and-done families is a global phenomenon, driven by a combination of factors, including the desire for a balance between personal and professional life, the increasing cost of raising children, and changes in societal values. As the demographic landscape continues to evolve, it is likely that single-child households will remain the norm for many families.

FAQs

* Q: What is the current trend in family structure in Europe?
A: Nearly one family in two has just one child in Europe.
* Q: What is the average age of women giving birth for the first time in France?
A: The average age of women giving birth for the first time in France is 31.
* Q: What is the estimated cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 in the US?
A: The average cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is estimated to be $310,000.
* Q: What is the cost of raising a child in South Korea?
A: Korean parents spend 7.79 times the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita on raising a child between birth and age 18.