Childlessness trends at different ages by educational attainment for men and women in Finland: A research note.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Nationwide register-based observational study tracking cohorts over time
PubMed 41416459 · doi:10.1080/00324728.2025.2592578
What was done
Researchers analyzed total population register data from Finland spanning 1987 to 2022 to examine trends in childlessness among men and women across educational attainment levels at four milestone ages: 30, 35, 40, and 45.
What was found
Childlessness increased at most ages, accelerating during the last decade. At ages 40 and 45, childlessness was consistently higher among lower-educated men, whereas for women, the historical pattern reversed from a positive association (higher childlessness in higher-educated women) to a negative association in recent years. At age 30, childlessness remained highest among tertiary-educated individuals, while at age 35, childlessness rose broadly across all educational groups. The abstract reports directional trends but does not provide exact numerical percentages or effect sizes.
Why it matters
This study shows that increasing lifetime childlessness in Finland is no longer confined to specific educational strata and highlights a reversal in the long-standing educational gradient of female fertility.
Limits
The abstract lacks exact sample sizes and specific numeric estimates. Findings reflect Finland's total population register and may not generalize to countries with different social welfare or demographic contexts, and the descriptive register design cannot determine the underlying economic or behavioral causes of non-parenthood.