What The Numbers say About Gen Z'er's Opinion on Marriage and Kids
- Ella Katzenbach
- Sep 10
- 3 min read
By: Ella Katzenbach
A recently shocking poll was issued by NBC News about Gen Z’s stance on prioritizing marriage and having kids. When the survey question asked, “What defines one’s personal version of success?”(NBC News), many answered by putting finding success in the workplace within one’s occupation at the top of their priorities. Moreover, both Gen Z men and women prioritized having a family towards the bottom of their lists of defining “success”: with men placing marriage and kids at number seven on their list and women listing it at number 10.
This statistic was raising eyebrows for many because Gen Z’ers are clearly putting most of their energy and goals towards making money for themselves, rather than being spiritually grounded or “settling down”.
The main cause for why careers are taking dominion over family life is not defined in the data. But there is a good chance it’s related to our current state of economy. In January of this year (2025), inflation shot up three percent and has stabilized at 2.7% for the past two months (United States Inflation Rate). Because we are in a constant state of rising prices, much of Gen Z’s stress is focused on making enough money to provide for their needs. Unfortunate as it is, this is the current reality that we are living in.
However, is this trending statistic completely true in Latter-Day Saint Culture? A recent study conducted by financial times claimed that having a large family is, “the ultimate status symbol”. This is true because every kid is a very expensive financial investment. Multiply this by four or five and parents of big families should be having a good portion of money coming in through the door. Members of the church have been known to have big families. No wonder Utah has the largest Costco in the world.
Because fertility rates in the U.S. have tanked by 1.6%, having a large family has become a new status of wealth. The ability to provide for multiple people while remaining financially stable has become increasingly rare. Social media influencers, such as Ballerina Farm and the Baldwin family, have been a focal point for having the ideal, “big family”.
After reading the poll, I decided to take this ringing question onto BYU campus. I asked countless students the same question: How many siblings do you have and would you have the same amount of kids yourself? Why or Why not?
This is what I gathered:
From the students that I interviewed, most came from larger families consisting of four to six kids. When I asked if they’d have the same amount for themselves in the future, many hesitated for a moment. They answered that they'd like to have a bigger family in the future. When asked why, some responded with, “Big families are fun” or “I love all my siblings, they’re my built-in best friends”. I then followed up with the conversation by asking if they think that having a lot of kids comes with a financial factor. All of them agreed since raising multiple kids is extremely expensive, especially with the high prices we are dealing with everyday.
It is clear from this poll and interviews that having a bigger family, especially in latter-day saint culture might be harder to come by. With rising prices and Gen Z’ers having their priorities set on finding financial success, the chances of eventually settling down comfortably could be possibly postponed until later in life when the economy allows for life-long commitments to take place.
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Radio News. Ward Radio News is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church) and does not officially represent the Church.
I am seeing these same pressures and concerns with my own young adult children. My wife and I have four kids and struggled financially for more than 20 years when they were little but we made it work. Coupons, thrift stores, old vehicles, and a lot of DIY. No great vacations and no vacations at all in some years. There were years I took more sick days than vacation days. Our home while clean and maintained looks very dated. It was not easy at all but I love my children and they are the most important thing in my life. We were building something of real value for eternity, a family and not material possessions.
No one says on their…