Why Young Adults in Sweden Are Hesitant to Having Children : Examining Attitudes and Influences

Sammanfattning

Research shows that fertility rates in Sweden have been declining for decades, while the total fertility rate (TFR) has reached a historic low level of 1.42 children per woman in 2024. While previous literature has concluded that institutional factors such as family policy are decisive, this study examines the contemporary psychological and local barriers influencing reproductive postponement in Sweden. The approach to investigate this matter is through a qualitative interpretivist design, conducting semi-structured interviews with young adults aged 27 to 32 that reside in Swedish urban areas. Interpretation of the data was done with the help of a hybrid thematic analysis combining the Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The ultimate goal was to understand the modern drivers behind the reproductive postponement and decline in Sweden. Findings indicate that the reasons for parenthood being postponed are increasingly due to internal barriers such as mental readiness rather than external ones like financial support. Social media is one explanation for this as it shapes the view of an ideal lifestyle and creates competing subjective norms. Social timing within a person’s environment rather than traditional family expectations is also a factor that increasingly defines family decisions. This thesis focuses on the voices of the people who shape demographic trends with their imminent decisions and intends to complement existing and future macro-level quantitative data. Furthermore, it can provide a basis for the Swedish government to make more informed and socially grounded policy decisions concerning family planning postponement.