Less than half of young Dutch adults want children, according to a new survey.

The online poll by the media outlet RTL, conducted among over 19,000 panel members in February 2026, found that 53% of 18 to 35-year-olds either have no desire for children or remain undecided.

The Netherlands’ birth rate has already dropped from an average of 1.8 children per woman in 2010 to just 1.4 in 2024, far below the replacement rate. Ireland’s fertility rate is 1.47.

Respondents point to a mix of factors for not desiring children: no natural pull towards parenthood, worries about climate change, health problems, the absence of a stable partner and difficulties in finding a suitable place to live.

Economist Jona van Loenen warns that at the current pace the Dutch population could halve within 75 years.

The worker-to-retiree ratio, once seven to one, could fall as low as two to one, piling pressure on healthcare and the broader economy simultaneously.