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- Childlessness has risen steadily across high-income societies in Western Europe and East Asia, contributing to persistently low fertility.
- Existing research largely attributes low fertility and rising childlessness to structural barriers rather than a decline in fertility desire itself.
- In China, recent data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) shows a sharp increase in zero fertility desire among young adults, rising from 5% in 2012 to 32% in 2023.
- A pronounced gender gap has emerged: by 2023, 47% of young women reported no desire for children, compared to a lower rate among men.