According to a new survey from Mass Mutual, about 23% of adults ranging from 18 to 43 years old say they don't want children because they value their financial freedom and they have concerns about the cost of raising kids in today's economy.

根據大眾互助保險公司（Mass Mutual）的一項最新調查，約 23% 年齡在 18 至 43 歲之間的成年人表示，他們不想要孩子，因為他們珍視自己的財務自由，並擔心在當今經濟環境下養育孩子的成本。

Joining me with more on this is CBS MoneyWatch Associate Managing Editor Amy Pichey.

CBS MoneyWatch副主編艾米-皮奇（Amy Pichey）將為我們帶來更多報道。

Amy, thank you so much for being with us.

艾米，非常感謝你和我們在一起。

I mean, look, I've got a two and a half year old.

我的意思是，你看，我有一個兩歲半的孩子。

I'm still like deep in the diapers and all of that.

我還穿著紙尿褲呢。

It is expensive.

價格昂貴。

The average family spends $700 a month alone just in childcare.

平均每個家庭每月僅在兒童保育方面就花費 700 美元。

Can you break down what other figures you found and how they've changed in recent years?

您能否詳細介紹一下您發現的其他數據，以及這些數據近年來的變化情況？

Yeah, I mean, there's an estimate out there about how much it costs to raise a child from birth to age 18, and it's about $240,000.

是的，我的意思是，有人估算過，撫養一個孩子從出生到18歲需要多少錢，大約是24萬美元。

That's about $13,000 a year on average.

平均每年約 13,000 美元。

And that's up 20% from 2016.

而這一數字比 2016 年增長了 20%。

So that's things like inflation, but of course, that precedes our inflationary hike after the pandemic.

這就是通膨等問題，當然，這是在疫情後我們的通膨率上升之前發生的。

But it's just really expensive to raise a kid.

但是養孩子真的很貴。

And I think a lot of younger people, what we're seeing in these surveys, they're worried about it.

我認為，我們在這些調查中看到，很多年輕人對此感到擔憂。

They're worried about their ability to handle the cost of raising a kid, and they're worried about their ability to do the things that they want with their lives, their careers, their hobbies, their interests, and taking on a financial burden like having a kid.

他們擔心自己是否有能力承擔撫養孩子的費用，他們擔心自己是否有能力在生活中、在事業上、在愛好和興趣上做自己想做的事情，以及是否有能力承擔像生孩子這樣的經濟負擔。

But it's always been expensive to have kids, of course.

當然，生孩子一直都很昂貴。

I mean, that has always been the case.

我是說，情況一直都是這樣。

Yeah, I mean, the graphic that we just showed, more than $200,000, that is without college.

是的，我的意思是，我們剛剛展示的圖表，超過20萬美元，這是在沒有上大學的情況下。

That is up until the age of 18, which is just bonkers.

直到 18 歲，這簡直是瘋了。

How has sentiment changed across generations when it comes to people not having children?

各代人對不生育的看法有何變化？

Yeah, I think that's one of the really interesting things here.

是啊，我覺得這才是真正有趣的地方。

Pew did a study asking people without kids why they didn't have kids.

皮尤曾做過一項研究，詢問沒有孩子的人為什麼不生孩子。

And this was a study from July.

這是七月份的一項研究。

And what's interesting is those people over 50 said it just never happened for them.

有趣的是，那些 50 歲以上的人說，他們從未遇到過這種情況。

They just didn't meet the right person.

他們只是沒有遇到合適的人。

It just didn't turn out that they had kids.

只是他們沒有孩子。

Those under 50 were more likely to cite financial reasons, concerns about the environment, concerns about their ability to achieve what they wanted to in their careers.

50 歲以下的人更有可能提到經濟原因、對環境的擔憂、對自己能否實現職業理想的擔憂。

So there's sort of a shift there between generations, Gen X and boomers versus millennials and Gen Z.

X 代和嬰兒潮一代與千禧一代和 Z 代之間出現了某種轉變。

So, you know, I have a 529.

所以，你知道，我有一個 529。

I'm trying to put, you know, the few cents I can every month when I can.

我在努力，你知道的，在我力所能及的情況下，每個月投入幾美分。

And of course, I'll be the first one to tell you, being a parent is such a blessing, you know, everybody gets to choose what they would like to do for their own lives, not saying it's for everybody.

當然，我也會第一個告訴你，為人父母是一件多麼幸福的事情，你知道，每個人都可以選擇自己的人生，並不是說每個人都適合做父母。

But what tips do you have for people who are interested in having a family, growing a family, but they're not sure how they can do it?

但是，對於那些有興趣組建家庭、發展家庭，但又不確定如何才能做到的人，你有什麼建議？

Yeah, I think one interesting thing a mass mutual study found is that most parents did prepare for having a kid financially. 529 plan, which you mentioned is a great idea.

是的，我認為大眾互助組織的一項研究發現了一個有趣的現象，那就是大多數父母都為生孩子做好了經濟準備。你提到的 529 計劃是個好主意。

It can actually also cover high school, I think middle school and high school costs now not only college.

實際上，它還可以支付高中的費用，我想現在不僅是大學，國中和高中的費用也可以支付。

And you know, if you don't use the money for higher education, you can also use it for later for other costs.

要知道，如果你不把這筆錢用於高等教育，以後還可以用來支付其他費用。

So you know, it's not only for college.

所以，你知道，它不僅適用於大學。

But you know, the other thing to remember is that it just, you know, it's going to cost money to have a kid and just to prepare to save, look at your finances, budget.

但要記住的另一件事是，生孩子是要花錢的，要準備存錢，看看自己的財務狀況，做好預算。

And that's what mass mutual told us.

這就是大眾互助會告訴我們的。

All right, Amy, such great advice.

好吧，艾米，你的建議真不錯。

Thank you.

謝謝。