Results: Americans' Preference for Larger Families Highest Since 1971
Americans are about evenly divided in their views of whether smaller versus larger families are preferable.
Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/511238/americans-preference-larger-families-highest-1971.aspx
Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/511238/americans-preference-larger-families-highest-1971.aspx
1.
1.
When asked about the ideal number of children for a family to have, a 44% plurality of U.S. adults think having two children is best, and 3% say a single child is ideal, totaling a 47% preference for smaller families. At the same time, 45% of Americans favor larger families, including 29% who say having three children is ideal, 12% who think four is best, and 2% each who prefer having five or six or more children. In your opinion, not thinking about cost or anything else, what would be the ideal number of children for you?
0
20%
•
529 votes
1
10%
•
262 votes
2
44%
•
1200 votes
3
14%
•
386 votes
4
7%
•
200 votes
5+
5%
•
123 votes
2.
2.
When you were growing up, were you happy with the size of your family? Yes
64%
•
1730 votes
No, I wanted it to be smaller
12%
•
323 votes
No, I wanted it to be bigger
14%
•
391 votes
Other (please specify)
1%
•
40 votes
Not Applicable
8%
•
216 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
| 0.52% | 13 | |
| Never thought about it. | 0.12% | 3 |
| wanted a brother | 0.04% | 1 |
| Don’t know | 0.04% | 1 |
| I was an only child. It never occured to me that I would want brothers and sisters. However, when I became a father, we had 5. | 0.04% | 1 |
| didnt care | 0.04% | 1 |
| didn't think about it | 0.04% | 1 |
| nope | 0.04% | 1 |
| no, I wanted a new family | 0.04% | 1 |
| Didn’t care one way or the other | 0.04% | 1 |
| I was adopted | 0.04% | 1 |
| Don't know | 0.04% | 1 |
| no big brother | 0.04% | 1 |
| I have 4 brothers...I wanted a sister. | 0.04% | 1 |
| It didn't matter as we weren't a regular family at all. | 0.04% | 1 |
| to be financially, emotionally, happy stable | 0.04% | 1 |
| Size? It didnt occur to me either way. It was what it was. | 0.04% | 1 |
| I didn’t care | 0.04% | 1 |
| I never even thought about it. | 0.04% | 1 |
| Like I had any say in it?! | 0.04% | 1 |
| Never thought about it | 0.04% | 1 |
| 1 boy, and 1 girl. | 0.04% | 1 |
| Didn't care one way or the other. | 0.04% | 1 |
| Some days I wished I was the only child (1 brother 4 sisters) | 0.04% | 1 |
| No | 0.04% | 1 |
| Many different factors | 0.04% | 1 |
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