UNFPA's World Population Report 2025 - The Case for Reproductive Justice

Shared by Tom McDermott

"But the real crisis is that the most consequential reproductive decision a human being can make – when, whether and with whom to have a child – is being undermined." The real solution to the crisis of reproductive agency we are facing is to build a more equitable, sustainable and caring world that supports individuals to have the families they aspire to."

Click here for the report

Summary
The 2025 State of World Population report, titled “Seeing the Unseen: The Case for Reproductive Justice”, argues that the global fertility crisis is not a matter of too few or too many births, but a failure to meet people’s reproductive desires and rights. Drawing on data from a 14-country survey, the report finds widespread mismatch between the number of children people want and what they actually have—largely due to economic hardship, health barriers, gender inequality, and coercive policy environments. It calls for governments to abandon fertility targets and instead embrace a reproductive justice framework centered on rights, equity, and agency.

Quotes
“Fertility rates are not problems to be solved. The real crisis is the inability of individuals to realize their desired fertility goals.”

“Nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended. Many people are having fewer children than they want—not because they don’t want them, but because they can’t afford to or lack support.”

“Reproductive justice demands more than access to services; it requires a transformation of the power structures and social norms that limit people’s choices.”

“Policies should be designed not to control numbers, but to listen—to respond directly to what people want and need.”