Men’s desire to have kids has significantly declined. Between 2012 and 2018

Men’s desire to have kids has significantly declined. Between 2012 and 2018, the percentage of childless men ages 15 to 49 responding that they did not want children doubled from 9.9% to 20.2%. In addition, the number of men concerned with parental leave policies when evaluating jobs decreased between 2005 and 2015.

Across the first two decades of the 2000s, there is an increasing disinterest in becoming fathers among childless men. These trends have broad implications for family researchers who study fertility rates, men's health, and family relationships.

Gabriel Wilson, 24, who lives in Atlanta, realized he didn’t want to have kids after he graduated from college, and he took a job working in a restaurant while pursuing his career as a freelance writer.

He dreams of writing a novel, and is reluctant to sideline his work for fatherhood. His girlfriend also doesn’t want kids.

“I very much value my time and my hobbies. Over time, I’ve started to not see the appeal [of having kids] in terms of how it would affect my life,” Wilson told The Post. “You can chase a career if you want, but at the end of the day [if you have kids] you have to provide for someone else.”