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Middle aged couple

An increased number of women in the United States are not having children, according to an analysis of 2008 census data by the Pew Research Center. About 18 percent of American women ages 40 to 44 have never given birth- an increase from 10 percent in 1976. The study also found that while higher-educated women were more likely to be childless, that number is decreasing. What are the reasons for these trends? Have you chosen not to have children, and why?

The full Pew study is here.

Guest:

D’Vera Cohn, Senior Writer, Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project