UK Marketing to Adults without Children Consumer Report 2023

Adults without children are a growing consumer demographic, and are becoming an increasingly important consumer group. Using our expert analysis and consumer-led market intelligence, Mintel’s UK Marketing to Adults without Children Market Report helps to identify how brands can engage with and accurately represent this growing consumer group.

This report will help you understand:

• Market factors impacting adults without children.
• Consumer segmentation of adults without children, including childfree and childless adults.
• The major life events adults without children expect to experience in the next three years.
• Adults without children’s satisfaction with selected aspects of their lives.
• Adults without children’s participation in leisure and travel activities in the past six months.
• Attitudes towards the representation of adults without children in media, marketing and society.
• The perceived impact of being childfree on lifestyle.

Adults Without Children: A Growing Consumer Group

Over two-fifths (43%) of adults aged 16+ do not have children. Increasing opportunities for women outside the home, the steep cost of raising a child, and concerns about the climate are just some of the reasons why people are choosing to be childfree.

Like all consumers, the cost-of-living crisis is putting significant strain on the finances of adults without children. There may also be a knock-on impact on plans to start a family for many childfree adults.

Adults Without Children: Know Your Consumer

• 43% of adults without children believe that their consumer group is often left out of marketing.
• 80% of adults without children believe that being childfree means they are freer to make last-minute plans, however they are no more likely to engage in a number of leisure activities compared to parents of young children. 
• While the number of adults without children is on the rise, judgement persists, particularly towards childfree women. 60% of women aged 35-54 feel negatively judged for not having children.

Marketing to Adults Without Children – Market Opportunities

Adults without children have long been ignored in media, marketing and society. There are significant opportunities for brands to now understand and accurately represent this growing consumer group. Brands, particularly leisure and travel operators, can benefit from childfree adults’ ability to be spontaneous. 

To understand more about how your business can harness these opportunities and drive growth in the future, purchase our full Marketing to Adults Without Children Market Report.

Expert Analysis from a Specialist in the Industry

This report, written by Francesca Smith, a senior consumer & lifestyles analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.

Adults without children are a growing and increasingly important consumer group that brands need to understand and service. As the number of reasons to not have children arguably increases, from the steep rise in the cost of living to the impending climate crisis, more adults are choosing to delay parenthood or to be childfree. Of course, others are childless by circumstance.

And yet, adults without kids have largely been ignored and under-represented in media, marketing and society. There is opportunity for brands to stand out by accurately and positively representing this diverse group of consumers. In particular, brands should dismantle negative stereotypes and celebrate women who are childfree by choice.

 

Francesca Smith
Senior Research Analyst