Even as the U.S. birth rate hits a record low, Americans continue to say they want more children than they are having.

A new Gallup poll finds the average desired family size at 2.7 children, well above the nation’s fertility rate of 1.6 births per woman.

The findings highlight a widening gap between Americans’ family aspirations and reality. Demographers note the U.S. needs a rate of 2.1 children per woman to maintain its population, a threshold missed for decades.

Economic and Cultural Challenges

The shortfall points to economic and cultural headwinds — from housing and childcare costs to delayed marriage — that appear to hold families back from meeting their own expectations.

Since Gallup began measuring family ideals in 1936, preferences have shifted with the times. Back then, Americans favored 3.6 children on average. That figure fell below three in the early 1970s, influenced by changing norms and fears of overpopulation. Since the 1990s, the number has stabilized, hovering between 2.4 and 2.7.

Today, four in five adults say at least two children is ideal. Two children is the single most popular answer, cited by 40% of respondents, while 27% prefer three. Just 6% say one child or none is best.

Preferences vary by group: men, Republicans and frequent churchgoers lean toward larger families, while women, Democrats and younger adults are more likely to favor smaller ones.

Despite these divides, Gallup notes a striking consistency: Americans still want bigger families than they are choosing to have.