An Overview on Low Fertility Motivations among Italian Young-Adults

Italian low fertility and delaying parenthood are often seen as the result of external barriers that hinder the fulfilment of individuals’ desires for children. Overcoming the approach linking low fertility to unrealized intentions and desires, this study focusses on the motivations behind starting a family among young adults in Italy. We argue that having children is not solely determined by one's ability to achieve the desired fertility target, but it also depends on the intrinsic motivation to become a parent. Using data from the Rapporto Giovani of Istituto Toniolo, a survey conducted in Italy on men and women aged 25 to 34 in 2020, we find that one third of childless young adults lacks a compelling inner drive to become parents and may well feel fully realized in life even without children. While economic and job-related insecurities contribute in part to this diminished motivation, adherence to traditional gender roles also emerges as a factor associated with a decreased motivation to have children. Interestingly, preferences for traditionally gendered family roles do not influence lifetime desires for parenthood while they are associated in the opposite way to short-term fertility intentions. Because intrinsic motivation is closer to the individual’s Self than intentions and desires - which instead are more subject to situational constraints and societal influences - our results potentially reveal a sort of acceptance of childlessness lifestyle among young Italians. This acceptance reflects a potential shift in societal norms regarding family size and parenthood. Further research should deepen the specific role of childbearing motivations as driving force of small family size.