Wednesday 8 June 2022 08:04 AM Economy, climate have Australians thinking twice about having children trends now
Australian couples are reconsidering having children as the cost of living rises with no end in sight and house prices soar.
Others fear their children will face an unsafe future due to climate change, or don't want to contribute to global overpopulation.
The consumer price index rose 5.1 per cent in May including a 13.7 per cent increase in transport costs, 6.7 per cent for fruit and vegetables, and 6.2 per cent for meat.
Petrol prices are above $2 a litre even after the fuel excise was halved, and a doubling of power bills means $118.67 more a month in bills.
Property prices skyrocketed 35 per cent since the pandemic began and far more over the past decade, and a 0.5 per cent interest rate hike to 0.85 per cent on Tuesday made them more unaffordable than ever.
Rachael Schnurr, 32, said she and her husband Dan, 35, (pictured together) have discussed having children but 'lean further and further away from it every year'
Meanwhile, Russia is three months into an invasion of Ukraine, China is growing more belligerent, and climate change is already creating extreme weather.
'Hyper-inflated house prices, rising interest rates, a head of lettuce costs $10, crazy petrol prices and no wage increases to offset what is currently going on… does anyone else feel like they just can’t have kids even if they want to?' a woman asked on Reddit.
'I’ve always been on the fence anyway but just had a conversation with a friend who was in tears because she feels like she’s never going to be able to take the time off work she would need to raise a child and still be able to afford her mortgage. It’s broken my heart.'
Another said Australia's 'obsession' with owning homes to raise families, combined with rising property prices, led to fewer children.
'A lot of people i know in their mid 30s want kids but focused on housing and finances first. Now they are ready, they face more pregnancy issues due to age,' they wrote.
Felicity Lochhead, 28, is concerned about the kind of future her children could face due to climate change
A third said the fact they couldn't see good savings or super in their future meant having children was not an option.
'Unless I meet someone rich. I hope to be in a position to adopt when I have stable accommodation and work but I don't really even work in a field where that's possible,' they wrote.
Another wrote: 'I can barely afford to support myself at the moment. I have no hope of having a family even if I wanted to
'Besides, I don't want to bring kids into this world even if money wasn't the issue. It will probably only be worse for them.'
More people blamed high property prices that meant young people would struggle to own a home, coupled with rising rents.
'The cost of living is astronomical, most people in my age group 25-35 will never be able to buy a house unless they get a low interest loan from the bank of mum and dad,' one wrote.
'Rental prices are so high, I know of some people skipping meals and even only feeding
