Young men are more likely than women to say they want to be parents someday

As young adults are getting married and entering parenthood later in life than their parents’ generation did before them, a new Pew Research study finds that among young adults without children, men are more likely than women to say they want to be parents someday. 

The study finds that over half of young men without children say they want children one day, while about 45 percent of young women without kids said the same.

All respondents of the survey are members of the Center’s American Trends Panel, an online survey group recruited through national, random sampling. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories.

Nearly seven in 10 Americans ages 18 to 34 who have never tied the knot say they’d like to marry in the future. Almost a quarter say they’re not sure and 8% say they don’t want to get married. 

According to the study, men and women are roughly equal in their likelihood of saying they desire to become married.

This latest research shows a more encouraging trend in American’s view of family life. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that American adults of all ages are likelier to say job satisfaction and having close friends are more important to a fulfilling life than being married or having children.