Young People Abstaining Marriage, Early Family Life, UNFPA Demographic Research Reveals..

By: Laymah Kollie

Monrovia, July 13, 2026 : A new report launched by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has revealed that many young people are delaying marriage and early family life, not because they are rejecting family altogether, but largely because of financial insecurity, unstable employment, and the rising cost of living.

The findings, presented during the 2026 World Population Day celebration in Monrovia on Friday, show that economic hardship is shaping the relationship and reproductive choices of young people across the world, including Liberia. The report, titled Lives, Choices and Futures: What young people want and what shapes their decisions about relationships and parenthood, is based on the Demographic Futures Survey, which reached nearly 109,000 internet-connected young adults aged 18 to 39 in 73 countries.

According to UNFPA, the survey confirms that most young people still value marriage, partnership, and children, but many feel their current realities do not support the life they want to build. The report found that financial security is the highest-rated consideration for forming a partnership, with 81 percent of respondents saying it is important. Economic and housing challenges were also identified as the most common barriers to partnership, cited by 57 percent of respondents.

The survey further showed that around 90 percent of the respondents rated economic security and being fit and healthy as important life goals. More than two-thirds said their ideal partnership and living arrangement involved marriage, while about one quarter of respondents aged 25 to 39 who would ideally like to marry or live with a partner were currently single and not dating. That proportion was even higher among male respondents at 30 percent, compared to 19 percent among female respondents.

The report also revealed that two children remain the most preferred family size in five of the seven regional groupings covered by the survey. Across the board, the highest-rated preconditions for becoming a parent were financial security at 88 percent, stable employment at 87 percent, and emotional readiness at 85 percent. At the same time, eight in ten respondents said the joy and happiness children bring is one of the strongest reasons for wanting children.

The figures, according to UNFPA, reinforce a growing reality in which young people are not rejecting family life, but are instead responding to the limits imposed by economic uncertainty, housing instability, and social pressures. The agency said the evidence points to the need for governments to invest more deliberately in young people’s capabilities so they can participate meaningfully in national development.

The background to the report reflects broader global demographic changes, which UNFPA described as one of the major megatrends of the modern era. These changes in population size, age composition, and settlement patterns, affect labor markets, pensions, social protection, health, education, human rights, and peace. UNFPA stressed that rights-based government responses will be essential in navigating these shifts and turning them into opportunities for inclusive growth.

The occasion embedded a panel discussion to get perspectives from relative authorities on how these figures align with the reality of young people in Liberia. Amongst the panelists were Mr. Lawrence Yealue, Chairperson of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Ms. Bendu Harleyson of the Adolescent Girls Advisory Panel, Hon. Richard Fatorma Ngafuan, Director General of Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), and Ms. Bendu T. Kamara of the Amplifying Rights Network.

During the panel, Ms. Bendu B. Harleyson aligned with the report. Noting, that many young people are postponing marriage and family life because they do not feel financially secure enough to support a household. Arguing that a person who comes from a poor home and had to take on responsibilities early as a child will not want to repeat the same lifestyle for his/her kids.

“Young people are refraining from establishing and family because there is no stable income to take care of their families. Some people come from struggling homes, and they do not want their children to experience that.”

Harleyson called for greater youth inclusion in decision-making, more opportunities beyond paper commitments, and expanded mental health support for young people, saying emotionally prepared and supported youth are better positioned to build healthy families and communities.

For his part, Mr. Lawrence Yealue, Chairperson of the National Civil Society Council, urged a stronger focus on quality education and sustainable livelihoods. He cautioned that temporary solutions will not address the deeper economic pressures facing young people.

“We need to really emphasize quality education, do not put the work on government alone to create temporary jobs. Sustainable jobs are better.” He said.

He also encouraged young people to move beyond dependence and create solutions that generate opportunity for others. “Young people, stop founding NGOs, find businesses and employ people. Start solving problems in the country and you will be paid for that,” he said.

Meanwhile, remaking at the event, Deputy Minister for Youth Development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Hon. Alphonso Belleh emphasized the need for young people to be seen as central to national planning rather than as future beneficiaries only.

“They are our baseline, present reality and our future. We cannot build a sustainable future for young people without actually building it with them,” Belleh said.

Adding, “We must protect their rights, their health and the environment of living. To the young people, we hear you, we see you and we are working to see a paradigm shift to ensure your lives are better.”

However, Representative Priscilla Cooper of District #5, Montserrado County, said the survey sends a clear message that young people still desire stable lives, but need government support to achieve them.

“This survey reveals that young people have not abandoned the desire for stable lives,” Cooper said. “We must prioritize budget allocation for young people. We must prioritize the health of young people. Population dynamics are not merely charts. I reaffirmed our unwavering commitment of the National Legislature to this cause. When we invest in young people, we invest in the future of Liberia.”

Demographic Futures Survey will serve as a flagship evidence base for rights-based policies and programs aimed at helping young people realize their partnership, reproductive, and life aspirations. The agency noted that when governments combine rights, choices, and long-term investment in youth, demographic change can become a driver of inclusive growth rather than a burden.

As Liberia and other countries continue to confront unemployment, rising living costs, housing shortages, and widening inequality, the report has placed a fresh spotlight on a generation that still dreams of marriage, parenting, and family life, but increasingly sees economic insecurity as the biggest barrier standing in the way.