In recent years, increasingly couples in Indonesia are selecting to not have children, which implies a big change within the approach to family life.
According to a survey by the Indonesian Statistics Agency (BPS), the share of married women aged 15-49 without children increased from 7%. in 2019 to eight.2 percent in 2022. This number is prone to be higher if only couples using contraception are included, as the info includes women who don’t use contraceptive methods.
Choosing a child-free lifestyle in Indonesia just isn’t easy, especially in a society where traditional family values are deeply rooted. However, data shows that the fertility rate in Indonesia has declined significantly over the past three many years, reflecting a fundamental change in public attitudes towards family structures.
According to World Population Prospects, the full fertility rate (TFR) in Indonesia in 1990 was 3.10, meaning that the typical woman had three children during her reproductive years. In recent years, the trend has been steadily decreasing to 2.15, representing a cumulative decrease of 30.64% over the period 1990–2022.
The variety of marriages also dropped significantly. In 2018, there have been over 2 million marriages, but by 2023 this number had fallen to just one.57 million. This is consistent with increasing numbers of individuals selecting to live independently, reflecting a broader societal shift towards a more individualistic lifestyle.
Childfree: A growing global phenomenon
This trend in Indonesia is consistent with similar patterns seen in Western countries. In the United States, a 2021 Pew Research Center study found that 44% of childless people aged 18 to 49 don’t plan to have children, up from 37% in 2018.
Most cited simply not wanting to have children as their primary reason, relatively than aspects corresponding to health problems or lack of a partner.
A 2020 YouGov survey within the UK and Wales found that greater than half of individuals aged 35 to 44 who’ve never had children don’t intend to have them. This decision is commonly influenced by broader concerns about global conditions.
The same Pew Research study highlighted that 9% of non-parents cited “the state of the world” as a reason for potentially not having children, while 5% cited environmental issues as a big factor.
What’s driving more Indonesian couples to decide on the child-free option?
In a study titled “Childlessness in Indonesia – a phenomenon or a short lived virus?” (Childless in Indonesia: a phenomenon or a passing trend?) published within the magazine Syntax ideaResearchers Farrencia Nallanie and Fhelincia Nathanto identified several aspects behind couples’ decisions to not have children.
Financial aspects are the primary reason why many Indonesian couples select a child-free lifestyle. The rising cost of living coupled with rising inflation has resulted in expenses far outpacing income. For example, in 2022, the fee of living for a family in Jakarta reached IDR 14-15 million per thirty days, while the minimum wage was only IDR 4.65 million.
Even if each partners work, their combined earnings are sometimes not enough to cover basic needs, let alone the high costs of youngsters’s education. Data shows that 76% of families in Indonesia are unable to supply adequate education attributable to financial constraints.
Western cultural influences have also contributed to the trend towards childlessness. Liberal ideology, which emphasizes individual freedom without the pressure of non secular or cultural expectations, has captivated Indonesia’s younger generation, especially those exposed to Western lifestyles through the media or foreign education.
While Indonesia still holds the idea that “having more children brings more happiness,” an increasing variety of younger individuals are starting to see a child-free lifestyle as a legitimate option.
Past trauma also plays a crucial role. Negative experiences corresponding to harsh parenting, domestic violence, or an unhealthy family environment often cause fear of parenting. For many, selecting to live childfree is seen as a solution to break the cycle of trauma while protecting potential children from similar suffering.
Despite social and cultural pressures, increasingly couples are selecting mental health and private happiness over traditional expectations.
