Many new parents doubt their ability to cope with more than one child, a new survey finds.
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The total fertility rate for 2024 was 1.25, down from 1.26 in 2023. Image: Marjukka Talvitie / Yle
Fewer than half the people in Finland who became parents last year say they want more children.
According to a new survey by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the most common reason for hesitation is not money or housing, but exhaustion.
Many parents doubt their ability to cope with another child, a sentiment reflecting broader concerns about modern parenthood.
The share of new parents — 44 percent — who say they want more children has fallen by five percentage points since the public health authority last conducted a similar survey in 2020.
THL’s latest ‘baby family’ survey drew responses from nearly 12,000 parents: more than 7,500 mothers who had given birth and about 4,500 fathers or other second parents.
According to a 2025 government report, the country’s birth rate has fallen more rapidly than expected during this decade, primarily because of a decrease in first births.