Young Adults’ Fertility Intentions and Self-Reported Rationales in Low-Fertility Finland

Lydia Veronica Palumbo, University of Turku
Marika Jalovaara, University of Turku
Christina Salmivalli, University of Turku

Total fertility rates (TFR) in Nordic Countries have sharply declined for over a decade, with Finnish TFR dropping to 1.26 in 2023, a 33% decrease since 2010. Understanding fertility intentions is crucial for explaining this trend; however, studies in Finland often focus on register data rather than individual subjective motivations. Our study used data from 3,403 young Finns aged 20?29 in 2021?2022, who participated in a psychological intervention organised by the University of Turku during childhood. Participants were asked to evaluate how much 38 rationales influenced their intention to postpone having children (within 5, 6-10, beyond 10 years), to remain childless, or to be uncertain about timing. An exploratory factor analysis identified four key rationale factors: personal and relationship concerns, desire for personal freedom, concerns over global issues (e.g., environment) and work career. A latent profile analysis of such factors revealed the presence of six groups with varying relationships to fertility intentions. Those facing temporary challenges—like relationship or career issues—were likely to delay childbearing, while those prioritising personal freedom, either alone or alongside global concerns, were more inclined to forgo it entirely. The next step is the linkage to registers to access additional information to enrich the analysis.

Keywords: Fertility, Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Families, Unions and Households

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session 1. Couple Fertility Preferences and Intentions