Dear Editor,

In recent months public discourse in Jamaica has turned towards the island’s declining birth rate. Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has been campaigning endlessly, encouraging citizens, especially young people, to have children.

As biological women are the ones who can have children, much of the conversation has focused on them, whether implicitly or explicitly. Yet an important dimension remains underexplored: Men, too, are delaying fatherhood, or choosing to have fewer children altogether.

Valentine’s Day was celebrated this weekend, and many men would have been careful to take the necessary precautions to ensure that they do not impregnate their partners — certainly not in this economic climate of pending taxes.

If we are to have an honest national conversation about population decline, we must examine why many Jamaican men are postponing parenthood. First, the economic climate cannot be ignored. Housing costs are high, land ownership remains out of reach for many young adults, and stable employment is increasingly precarious. Men — still heavily socialised to view themselves as providers — may delay fatherhood until they feel financially secure. In a society in which masculinity is often tied to the ability to “mine yuh family”, economic instability becomes a powerful deterrent.

Pregnancy is expensive, and women desire and deserve special care throughout the gestation period. With the horror stories that come out of some of our local public hospitals, some women are afraid to interact with that system; consequently, they prefer a private hospital or home birth. Some women are adamant about these preferences and do not consider the financial strain this may cause on men.

Raising children is also expensive. Imagine having to do this for more than two decades. School fees, transportation, food costs, and health care add up quickly. Many men may ask themselves: Can I provide the kind of life I did not have? When the answer feels uncertain, postponement becomes rational.

Second, there is also a cultural shift underway. Younger Jamaican men are redefining masculinity. Increasingly, they aspire not merely to father children biologically, but to be present, emotionally engaged fathers. This desire for meaningful fatherhood may lead to fewer children, because quality is prioritised over quantity.

The days when fatherhood was primarily about lineage or status are fading. Today, some men prefer to delay until they are emotionally mature, professionally stable, and in healthy relationships. And, yes, several men value healthy relationships too.

The third factor is relational instability. Many men express concerns about co-parenting conflicts, legal battles, and child support disputes. In a context in which family structures are evolving and separation rates are high, some men fear the long-term consequences of having children outside stable partnerships.

This does not absolve irresponsibility; however, it highlights that fatherhood is increasingly perceived as a long-term legal and emotional commitment — one that men approach cautiously.

A similar view exists regarding marriage. Some men are conscious of the effects of an unhealthy marriage that may lead to a divorce. This does not only carry an emotional strain, but also economic shocks.

Migration also plays a role. Some Jamaican men opt to pursue career opportunities abroad, and this complicates family formation. Economic migration may postpone marriage and parenthood for years.

To some extent, both men and women are experiencing a shift in mindset, focusing on personal, professional, and economic development. The world is much more interconnected, and Jamaicans are seizing opportunities right across the globe, because if we do not secure our own future, who will do it for us?

Encouraging citizens to have more children without addressing economic precarity, housing affordability, childcare costs, and workplace flexibility risks sounding detached from lived realities. Public campaigns should not romanticise reproduction without confronting structural barriers.

Economist and columnist Janiel McEwan addressed some of these issues in part one of his four-part series ‘Jamaica’s middle class: Priced out of the future’, published in the February 12, 2026 issue of the
Jamaica Observer.

If Jamaica wishes to stabilise its birth rate, policy interventions must include affordable housing initiatives, support for young families, better paternity leave policies, strengthened family counselling services, and economic security for working-class men.

Declining birth rates are rarely about unwillingness to love children. More often they reflect uncertainty about the future. Men delaying fatherhood may not be rejecting family life; they may be postponing it until conditions feel viable. The conversation, therefore, must move beyond moral appeals and address material realities.

If we truly value children, we must create a society in which both women and men feel secure enough to raise them.

Oneil Madden

Co-founder and director of research and publications

uMbre Movement Jamaica

maddenoniel@yahoo.com