@article{Yeatman_53_36,
author = {Yeatman, Sara and Smith-Greenaway, Emily},
title={{Unrealized fertility in demography}},
journal = {Demographic Research},
volume = {53},
number = {36},
pages = {1145--1172},
doi = {10.4054/DemRes.2025.53.36},
year = {2025},
abstract = {Background: Over the past few decades, demographic research on unrealized fertility – the experience of having fewer children than desired – has expanded rapidly, particularly in low-fertility settings. More recently, scholars have shown that unrealized fertility is also widespread in higher-fertility contexts, affecting individuals across diverse sociodemographic conditions. Yet the literature remains fragmented, spanning definitions and measurement approaches, and with limited synthesis across settings. 

Objective: This article reflects on the current state of demographic research on unrealized fertility. Drawing on studies from both the Global North and Global South, we provide a narrative review of how unrealized fertility has been measured, its primary causes, and the persistent gaps in the field. 

Results: We identify five dominant approaches to measuring unrealized fertility and review their strengths and limitations, as well as the data constraints that hinder cross-contextual comparisons. We then consider the principal causes of unrealized fertility and introduce a preliminary conceptual model for understanding its multilevel drivers. Finally, we highlight key gaps in the literature and propose substantive and methodological directions for future research. 

Contribution: As unrealized fertility is increasingly the focus of public discourse and policy debates, this is a critical moment for demography to deepen and standardize research on the topic. Our review synthesizes the field to date and offers concrete recommendations for advancing demographic research on unrealized fertility. },
URL = {https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol53/36/},
eprint = {https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol53/36/53-36.pdf}
}