For you personally, what is the ideal number of children you would like to have or would have liked to have had? NOTE: This variable originates on the GSS Next follow-on, and should not be analyzed without the GSS Next-specific weights WTSSPS_NEXT or WTSSNRPS_NEXT
Personal ideal number of children, follow-on · Asked in 1 wave, 2025 · 1,065 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
| Group | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 or more | As many as you want | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 9% | 7% | 39% | 22% | 11% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 5% | 1065 | ±5 | |
| Urban |
General Social Survey 2024: GSS Next follow-on · US adults 18+ who completed the 2024 GSS interview and then this web follow-on (weighted to the adult population). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Social Survey 2024: GSS Next follow-on | 2025-08-20 to 2025-10-21 | web | 1,065 | 1,065 |
| 15% |
| 6% |
| 39% |
| 18% |
| 10% |
| 1% |
| 1% |
| 4% |
| 6% |
| 275 |
| ±9 |
| Suburban | 7% | 8% | 39% | 23% | 10% | 5% | 2% | 0% | 5% | 615 | ±6 |
| Rural | 6% | 5% | 37% | 27% | 15% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 6% | 175 | ±10 |