The left never gives up

Media hoax that "climate anxiety" has caused Swedes to have fewer children
Published August 22, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Domestic. The media has portrayed the fact that a record number of new Swedes are now being born as an expression of "climate anxiety". But according to a new study from the Institute for Futures Studies, there is no clear connection between concern for the environment and the decision to have children.

“There have been many articles in the media about people who are so worried about climate change that they are choosing not to have children. But whether this is common or not has not been properly investigated. That is why we decided to dig deeper into this issue,” says Malcolm Fairbrother, professor of sociology, in a press release.

The study is based on two opinion polls with 8,027 and 683 respondents respectively. A majority agreed that the Earth is approaching its population limit and that environmental considerations should be weighed in decisions about having children.

However, the results also showed that anxiety did not affect the number of children or the desire to have children. However, it can affect the views one has on other people's life choices.

– In general, Swedes seem to agree that one should limit childbearing for environmental reasons. However, we do not clearly find that this has any major effect on one's own choice to have children, says Martin Kolk, associate professor of demography.

At the same time, the researchers emphasize that widespread perceptions about the environment and childbearing may have significance in the long term.

“Concerns about the environment can change societal norms and narratives around childbearing, and thereby potentially influence future trends in childbearing, and the psychological well-being of parents. We should better understand the concerns that environmentally conscious people may have when considering having children,” says Kirsti Jylhä, a researcher in psychology.