DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Ian doesn't want children. He's part of a growing trend among men

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Approximately 15 percent of Australian men now say they do not want children, an increase from 11 percent in 2005, according to a 2025 survey.
  • Researchers note that while much study has focused on women, men's decisions are influenced by factors like family of origin, a desire for an alternative lifestyle, and fears about the future.
  • Financial concerns, observations of friends' parenting experiences, and worries about personal freedom and relationships also contribute to men choosing to be childfree.

Ian, 48, recalls contemplating fatherhood around age 13, shortly after his father moved out. He felt destined not to have children, wanting to avoid repeating his father's perceived mistakes. Describing himself as a "wanderer," Ian felt fatherhood didn't align with his desire to "drift through the world."

I was probably destined not to have them based on what I know about the males in my family.

— IanExplaining his early thoughts on not wanting children.

His sentiment reflects a growing trend in Australia, where about 15 percent of men now state they do not want children. This figure, from the 2025 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, is up from 11 percent in 2005. While research has historically concentrated on women's decisions to be childfree, studies are beginning to explore men's perspectives.

I didn't want to repeat my dad's mistakes.

— IanReferencing the influence of his father's absence on his decision.

Clinical psychologist Imogene Smith, who studies child-free men, identifies the family of origin as a significant factor. Many men surveyed found the idea of fatherhood unappealing, with some explicitly stating their relationship with their own fathers turned them away from parenting. Others were influenced by observing the challenges faced by their parents raising multiple siblings.

I didn't want to follow the norm.

— Man surveyed by Dr. SmithExpressing a desire to be different from societal expectations.

Beyond family templates, a desire to be "alternative" and deviate from societal norms motivates some men. Fears about the climate or political environment, and concerns about passing on inheritable health conditions, also play a role. Even among middle-class professionals, financial anxieties about affording a larger home for children are common. Observing friends with children, who often report a lack of free time, further solidifies the decision for some, with one man humorously noting his friends with kids have "Dora the Explorer sex" – limited to the duration of a children's television episode.

My friends who've got two kids, they have Dora the Explorer sex … however long that episode is, that's how long they've got to do it.

— Man surveyed by Dr. SmithIllustrating concerns about the impact of children on personal life and intimacy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog