December 2023: A New Normal: The Rising Age of Motherhood in Wisconsin

Since 1936, the Gallup organization has polled Americans on births and family
size. Its 2023 poll showed that 45% of Americans thought the ideal family size
included three or more children. That was the highest percentage with this perspective since 1971 when 52% of Americans shared this view. What may be more surprising is that 52% of those aged 18-29 considered families with three or more children to be ideal.

But the recent survey also found a twist — while just 8% of all U.S. adults did not want children, 16% of those aged 18 to 29 expressed that preference. Compared to every other age group surveyed, the youngest adult population is the most divided. Most think the ideal family is relatively large with three or more children, but a significant portion do not want children. While the survey results are interesting, do Wisconsin birth and fertility patterns confirm or refute them?

Read the full December 2023 Wisconsin Counties article here.