The rise of Double Income No Kids (DINK) couples, women prioritizing their careers over having children, declining fertility rates, and the mainstreaming of modern family planning methods are emerging as significant cultural trends. While there is no one-size-fits-all explanation for these, the recent report from the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) may provide some insights into the factors driving these societal shifts.
According to the 2024 report, economic instability and the rising prices of goods and services are major factors as to why many individuals and couples are deprioritizing marriage and childbearing. The pursuit of financial stability takes precedence over traditional family formation goals, like getting married or having children.
"[Filipinos] were already keen with their mindsets of delaying life-defining events such as dating, marriages and having children. These preferences were reinforced by the shocks in broader socioeconomic conditions, and the rise in the level of uncertainties in various aspects of the pandemic," CPD said in a statement.
Socioeconomic capacities and preparedness in childbearing are now being carefully considered. People are becoming more conscious in their decisions regarding family planning, ensuring that their choices align with their financial stability and future aspirations.
Family Planning Takes Center Stage: The Decline Of Population And The Rise Of Contraceptive Use
Marriage and Kids: A Decline in Priority
CPD Executive Director Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D. emphasized that even before COVID-19, there has been a shift in attitudes and behaviors towards dating, marriage, and childbearing, given the data reports of the decline of population and rise of contraceptive use.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) reported in 2019 that there has been a significant decline in the total number of registered births. The report noted that this downward trend emerged as early as 2017, with the number of registered live births dropping from 1,700,618 in that year to 1,668,120 in 2018. The decline continued in 2019, with the figure further decreasing to 1,673,923 registered live births.
In relation to declining birth rates, the CPD study found an increase in contraceptive use, rising from 40% in 2017 to 42% in 2022.
"Filipinos have increased their dependency on family planning methods, for which the pandemic was deemed a key catalyst driving heightened usage," Director Lisa addressed.
Significantly, the proportion of Filipino women who want more children has decreased from 52.6 percent to 48.8 percent. Additionally, the number of women who want to have a child has declined from 15.1 percent to 13.9 percent.
