Twenty-six percent of men and 15% of women aged between 20 and 39 do not want to start a family, according to the study of 4,000 people carried out by Germany's Federal Statistics Office in 2003.

Germans now want only 1.7 children on average, fewer than the two children Germans wished for only a decade ago.

The findings have alarmed policymakers who fear that a society with fewer children will face consequences that go well beyond the challenges of funding expensive welfare systems.

"Children aren't a burden," Interior Minister Otto Schily, the proud father of two daughters, said in a statement. "Rather, they enrich the lives of their parents as well as the entire society.

"We have to strengthen in the German public consciousness the value of children, of the family and of generations living together," he added, arguing that the choice against children could promote pessimism and selfishness.

With 8.7 births per 1,000 residents in 2003, Germany already has one of the lowest birthrates in Europe. As a result, by 2050, Germany's population is expected to drop from its current level of 82 million people to as low as 65 million people.

According to surveys, many Germans are reluctant to become parents before establishing a career and securing a steady income.
Republished with permission from "The Week in Germany"