Overview
- Official health data show births fell 47% from 777,012 in 2014 to 413,135 in 2024 and place national fertility at about 1.2 children per woman.
- A 2025 Universidad Austral survey of 1,028 adults reports that the share of Argentines who say having children is ‘very important’ dropped from 77% in 2015 to 46% in 2025.
- Among people who do not want children, 57.3% say it is simply not part of their life plan, indicating the decline reflects changing preferences as much as economic constraints.
- Younger adults show the biggest shift: only about one third of 18–34-year-olds call parenthood very important, and many respondents say current public measures discourage having children.
- Researchers warn the twin demographic and cultural shifts could accelerate population aging and reduce future labor supply, with likely impacts on pensions, services and long-term growth.