Most East Asians believe childbearing is women’s choice, not obligation: survey
By Carl Samson
A new Pew Research Center survey shows that societal pressure on women to have children is waning in East Asia, reflecting broader shifts in attitudes towards family life and gender roles.
Key points:
- Less than a third of adults in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam see childbearing as a woman’s societal duty.
- The survey, which involved more than 10,000 participants, highlighted demographic divides in attitudes towards childbearing, influenced by age, gender and education.
- East Asia faces persistent low fertility rates, with implications for population size, economic growth and labor markets. Despite various government policies aimed at reversing these trends, fertility rates remain below the global replacement rate of 2.10 births per woman.
The details:
- A majority across these regions hold the view that childbearing should be a woman’s personal choice.
- South Korea and Vietnam have the highest shares of those who say women have a societal obligation — 29% each — while Japan has the lowest at 13%.
- Significant demographic divides exist, with older adults, men and those with lower education levels more likely to see childbearing as a woman’s duty.
- The survey polled 10,390 adults in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam using computer-assisted and face-to-face interviewing methods from June 2 to Sept. 17, 2023.
- The survey also revealed nuances in attitudes based on religion, marital status, and frequency of prayer.
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