Childfreeness in Poland – group description and reasons behind not wanting to have children

Abstract Childfreeness remains a largely unexplored subject in Poland. We provide insights into the scale of childlessness by choice and the motivations and characteristics of childfree people in the country. We conducted a quantitative study (national stratified random sample, n = 665, age 18–50 ( M = 34.14, SD = 9.22), October 2021) and a qualitative exploration ( n = 461, age 18–58 ( M = 29.07, SD = 7.01), May 2020–January 2021). The quantitative analyses revealed that 14.89% of adult Poles of reproductive age did not have children and were not planning to have them. The decision not to have children was significantly predicted by lower age and left-wing political and liberal social beliefs. The qualitative analyses showed that the most common reasons for being childfree were lack of parental instinct ( I do not feel the maternal instinct ), not liking children ( I cannot stand children ) and desire for autonomy ( I want to be independent ). The results suggest that the Polish childfree population is substantial and diverse in their reasons for not wanting to have children.