Trends in the Prevalence of Childfree Women in the Philippines, 1993 - 2022

Research has documented trends in, and demographic associations with, the prevalence of childfree women in multiple countries. However, despite significant media coverage, little is known about childfree women in the Philippines. We use population-representative data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program to investigate changes in the prevalence of childfree women age 15-49 in the Philippines between 1993 and 2022 (Pooled N = 120,378). We also examine the demographic characteristics associated with being childfree among Filipino women. We find that prevalence rates of Filipino childfree women were stable until about 2013, after which they have risen dramatically, particularly among single women. Additionally, we find that Filipino women are more likely to be childfree if they are single, older, and live in an urban area. We discuss implications of these results for future research on childfree adults and for Philippine family policy.