Elon Musk's greatest fear realized as young adults find a replacement for 'burdensome' babies
Researchers have found in European countries, declining rates of births have correlated with rising rates of dog ownership.
They analyzed around a half-dozen studies on young people's views about pets and children, finding they see dog parenting as less burdensome than bearing a child.
The researchers identified financial stress and lifestyle freedom as key reasons for the shift.
The team from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest wrote: 'Many wealthy and developed countries are now experiencing sub-replacement fertility, meaning people are having fewer children than needed to maintain the population over time,' the team shared.
'In contrast, dog ownership has gained popularity over the last decades.'
In the US, more households now have dogs than children. More than 63 million households owning at least one pet compared to 32.7 million households with at least one child under the age of 18.
The so-called 'baby bust' in the West has sparked concern from economists and public figures, including Elon Musk, who has warned that falling birth rates pose 'the biggest threat to civilization.'
The billionaire, who has 14 children with four different women, has said that low birth rates mean few workers, increased debt, strained healthcare and pension systems and total social unrest.
It comes as the US fertility rate has fallen to 1.6 births per woman, far below the 2.1 replacement rate needed to sustain a population.
The new review suggests that this shift reflects a deeper transformation in society.
Professor Enikő Kubinyi, senior author and head of the Department of Ethology, said: 'We argue that many people consider dogs to be family members and, more specifically, as child-like figures.'
Approximately 19 percent of childless individuals and 10 percent of parents valued their dog at least partially more than any human in a recent Hungarian survey, researchers noted in the study.
Up to half of the 197 million European households have at least one dog, compared to the 46 million that have at least one child under the age of 18.
'For some people, dogs may represent a fulfilling compromise, satisfying a genetically embedded drive to nurture and form social bonds without investing the substantial resources necessary to raise biological offspring,' the authors wrote.
Dogs may be particularly suited for these evolving roles because of their cognitive and emotional abilities, according to the researchers.
A recent survey showed that 43 percent of Millennials and Gen Z would prefer raising a dog over having a child
'Dogs exhibit a wide range of social behaviors, often comparable to those of pre-verbal children,' the study reads.
Their dependency on humans mimics the relationship between children and parents: dogs rely on caregivers for food, routines, and social interaction.
Still, the researchers caution that treating dogs like children isn't the same as parenting.
'Despite the high dependency and attachment of dogs to their caregivers, in the eyes of many, commitments coming with dog ownership remain less burdensome than child parenting,' said Laura Gillet, Ph.D. student and co-author of the review.
Dogs generally have shorter lifespans, lower financial costs, and fewer social demands. No college tuition, no childcare, and typically no career sacrifices.
'We would like to point out that, contrary to popular belief, only a small minority of dog owners actually treat their pets like human children,' Kubinyi added.
'In most cases, dog parents choose dogs precisely because they are not like children, and they acknowledge their species-specific needs.'
Nonetheless, the implications are significant. In some homes, dogs serve as 'pre-children' for couples preparing to become parents.
In others, dogs can be a permanent substitutes for those who cannot have children or choose not to have them, and some are even considered siblings or companions for older adults.
'The roles that companion animals play in human lives are redefining the concept of family,' the study states.
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