Young people are increasingly deciding to put off parenthood, opting to build a family with a canine instead.
Recent demographic data shows that Gen-Z and Millennials are getting more dogs, while planning to have fewer, if any, children.
According to recent data from the Pew Research Center, adults aged 20-39 plan to have only 1.8 children nowadays, which is down from 2.3 in 20121.
In the United States, the birth rate itself presents an even starker reality, at only 1.6 births per woman, while the rate required to maintain population is 2.1, according to the United Nations.
This discrepancy can lead to some demographic problems as time progresses, but the trend for other types of family additions is taking hold and the population growth, or lack thereof, does not concern many young people, in fact, many see adding to an already overcrowded planet, hunger, poverty and famine and global warming as contributing to a bigger problem.
According to a 2024 Pew Research report, the lack of desire for having children centers around the following:
Concerns about the state of the world, other than the environment (38% vs. 13%)
They can’t afford to raise a child (36% vs. 12%)
Concerns about the environment, including climate change (26% vs. 6%)
But dog ownership is a growing aspect in the lives of young people with the American Veterinary Medical Association reporting that 45.5 percent of households have at least one dog. Experts agree these trends indicate an overall change in the composition of the average family going forward.
It takes an outlandish number of resources to raise a child to adulthood, a dog is much less expensive and is often seen every bit as much as a family member.
Phoenix-based dog trainer Janelle Wright is experiencing this shift firsthand.
“The average client is getting younger,” Wright said.
As family composition changes, and the societal norm of the “nuclear family” becomes a distant reality, the average customer for Wright’s business is changing as well.
“It used to be that the majority of my clients were older, mostly older couples, but now I’m getting more and more calls from people in my own generation.”
When discussing the recent data for dogs and family composition in recent years, she explained that it definitely rings true in her own experience. “It makes sense, I’ve been busier than usual”.
While this new reality may seem like a relatively unimpactful topic of conversation from a top-down perspective, the societal impact over time could be significant.
Couple this with the worry of financial stability and AI job takeover, young people are possibly seeing the writing on the wall with regard to having children.
In Wright’s training business as well as other animal businesses including rescue centers, veterinary physicians and even health insurance for pets—all have seen incredible growth—most people who opt for dogs don’t appear to be too concerned about the overall impact on society.
Despite the decline of young people wanting children, most say they are content to invest and spend time with their furry family members.
