"More than 7 in 10 Americans say that raising children is unaffordable — an increase of 20 percentage points over the last decade and a significant jump of 13 percentage points over the last year."
Wheatley Institute, in partnership with the Center for Studies on Elections and Democracy and Deseret News, has released the American Family Survey report for 2025.
At a time of significant economic, technological and political change, Americans are assessing what these rapid shifts mean for them and their families. The 11th annual American Family Survey, a nationwide poll with 3,000 respondents, reveals a growing concern among Americans of all stripes about the toll of economic pressures on their families — particularly the cost of raising a child — and how this relates to fertility and attitudes toward marriage. This year’s survey also finds deepening partisan divides on views of birthright citizenship and immigration policies that separate families. When it comes to technology, the survey shows people are ambivalent about the impact of smartphones, AI, and social media on their family life, but the vast majority of Americans support greater restrictions on technology for minors, from online pornography and social media to smartphones in classrooms.