More than 60% of childless women say their careers have nothing to do with their decision not to have babies – as ‘DINK’ couples (dual income, no child) take to TikTok to brag about their lavish lifestyle
More than half of childless couples say their decision not to have children has nothing to do with their careers, a new study suggests.
A survey of more than 600 “DINK” couples – a term that stands for “double income, no kids” – found that a third said the reason they didn’t have kids was that they enjoyed their financial freedom too much .
About 62 percent of women and 48 percent of men say their careers have not influenced their decision to have children, according to the findings of Market overview.
Dating back to 1987, the term “DINK” was first coined by the Los Angeles Times when researchers noticed that stagnant incomes were deterring prospective parents from starting a family.
But it’s resurged on social media amid red-hot inflation and high childcare costs. In recent months, dozens of “DINK” couples have taken to social media to extol the virtues of their childless lifestyles.
A survey of more than 600 ‘DINK’ couples – a term that stands for ‘dual income, no kids’ – exposes why couples delay having children
Census data from 2022 shows that 43 percent of U.S. households are childless — an increase of 7 percent from 2012.
The findings of the MarketWatch survey show that 51 percent said they never wanted children, while another 23 percent said they may want them in the future.
Only 25 percent confirmed they want children soon.
The top three reasons for not having children were: ‘I enjoy the financial freedom of not having children’, ‘I enjoy the day-to-day flexibility of not having children’ and ‘I cannot currently have a child financially. to maintain. .’
In comparison, only a fifth said they were ‘more interested in developing a career’.
All in all, these couples overwhelmingly used their excess money to fund vacations. About 48 percent of those surveyed said their discretionary income was traveling.
Hilary Bowles, left, has gained a cult following for documenting her lifestyle as a ‘DINK’
The second most popular spending category was “hobbies,” followed by “pets.”
And one in four DINKs said they are currently unable to support a child financially.
The findings come as more and more families struggle to cope with the weight of red-hot inflation and rising interest rates.
In July, the annual inflation rate rose to 3.2 percent, while interest rates currently fluctuate between 5.25 and 5.5 percent. It has ensured that the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage has risen above 7 percent.
And childcare costs had already become out of reach for most couples. Last year, financial management website Mint Intuit found that the cost of raising a child to age 17 had risen to $292,017 — hooked by Department of Agriculture figures.
Last year it was revealed that the cost of raising a child had risen to $292,017 – hooked on Department of Agriculture figures
Last year, financial management website Mint Intuit found that the cost of raising a child to age 17 had risen to $292,017 — hooked by Department of Agriculture figures.
Meanwhile, childcare and education costs parents an average of about $46,723 and transportation costs $43,802, according to the data.
Care, clothing and various costs were also accounted for.