Afraid of a Bleak Future, Many People Are Now Reluctant to Have Children

Anxiety about the state of the world is prompting some people to rethink having children. Issues such as climate change, an unstable economy, and difficulties in finding work are fuelling concerns about the future. Psychologists say this anxiety is also influencing many people’s decisions to delay parenthood.

Danti Wulan Manunggal, S.Psi., a psychologist with Ibunda.id, said that the decline in birth rates is not only about data or policy. ‘The phenomenon of declining birth rates (TFR - Total Fertility Rate) in Indonesia is not merely an issue of statistical figures or government policy; it reflects a shift in the collective psychological state of society,’ she told Kompas.com on Monday, 2 March 2026. ‘Anxiety about the world’s conditions, climate change, global economic instability, and increasingly fierce competition in the labour market create a sense of pessimism,’ she explained.

This worry makes some people wonder whether they are ready to bring a child into the current environment. Thoughts about the future of their child become a serious consideration. This question arises from a sense of responsibility for the life of a child in the future. Some people feel afraid that their child will have to face difficult conditions.

‘This proactive guilt’ — a term describing a cautious, forward-looking sense of guilt — becomes a significant psychological barrier, said Danti. In other words, guilt and worry can hinder decisions to have children. These feelings are not always openly expressed, but they continue to influence people’s thoughts. Many people choose to delay until they feel more confident about the state of the world. They want to ensure that the child to be born in the future has a good chance of life. This phenomenon shows that the decision to have a child now is not solely about economic readiness or relationships. Concerns about the future of the world are also an important consideration for some people.