TY  - JOUR
A1  - Yeatman, Sara
A1  - Smith-Greenaway, Emily
T1  - Unrealized fertility in demography
Y1  - 2025/12/10
JF  - Demographic Research
JO  - Demographic Research
SN  - 1435-9871
SP  - 1145
EP  - 1172
DO  - 10.4054/DemRes.2025.53.36
VL  - 53
IS  - 36
UR  - https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol53/36/
L1  - https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol53/36/53-36.pdf
L2  - https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol53/36/53-36.pdf
N2  - 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. 

ER  -