Based on academic research and data from the UNFPA survey conducted in 14 countries, where more than a third of the world's population lives, the authors of the report concluded that one in five people in the world believes that they will not be able to have as many children as they want.

Among the key reasons cited by respondents were the high cost of raising children, job insecurity, lack of affordable housing, concern about the future of the world, and lack of a suitable partner. As the report highlights, these factors are influenced by economic instability and sexist norms.

"A huge number of people cannot create the kind of families they want," said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UNFPA. The problem is not a lack of desire, but a lack of choice, and this has serious consequences for everyone and for society as a whole. This is the real fertility crisis. The answer is to respond to people's demands: paid family leave, affordable reproductive medicine, and partner support."

The figures presented in the report paint an alarming picture. More than half of the respondents cited economic reasons as an obstacle to having the desired number of children. Every third woman has experienced an unplanned pregnancy. 40 percent of respondents over the age of 50 said they were unable to have as many children as they wanted. 11 percent reported that the uneven distribution of family care responsibilities undermines their ability to parent. news.un.org.