Having Fun or Having Kids? Leisure Aspirations and Attitudes Toward Parenthood in Europe

This study examines the extent to which leisure aspirations are associated with perceptions of the ideal age for parenthood and attitudes toward voluntary childlessness in the adult population under age 60, considering how these associations vary by gender and societal child-centeredness. According to Second Demographic Transition and Basic Human Values theories, aspirations to pursue leisure, pleasure, and excitement as high-order needs may contribute to delayed parenthood and voluntary childlessness. So far, large-scale research examining their association with attitudes toward parenthood remains scarce. The study utilized data from the 2018 European Social Survey and employed multilevel regressions. Results show that hedonism and stimulation values, as a proxy for leisure aspirations, are positively associated with perceptions of a later ideal age for parenthood among women but not among men. These values, however, show no significant association with attitudes toward voluntary childlessness. Furthermore, societal child-centeredness moderates these patterns: compared with less child-centered societies, in more child-centered societies, women with stronger leisure aspirations tend to report a later ideal age for parenthood but weaker approval of voluntary childlessness. This study offers insights into the complex interplay between leisure aspirations and fertility attitudes.