A young population and a productive, youthful workforce are considered one of the main pillars of economic and social growth and power, as well as one of the key factors of national strength for countries. Statistics indicate a declining population growth rate and a doubling of the elderly population in the country. This research was conducted with the aim of categorizing the challenges related to childlessness refusal in South Khorasan Province.

The present study is quantitative in method, descriptive in terms of research implementation process, survey-based in type, and cross-sectional in terms of time frame. The statistical population consisted of low-fertility families, and the sample included 300 young couples in South Khorasan Province who had one or two children and did not intend to have more. Forty-four factors were identified as challenges to childbearing refusal and low population growth rate, categorized using exploratory confirmatory factor analysis. Based on exploratory factor analysis and the rotated component matrix, one question was removed, resulting in a construct containing 43 indicators across eight dimensions.

The χ²/df ratio was less than 3, and the RMSEA was less than 0.08, indicating a good model fit. Additionally, based on the confirmatory factor analysis results, all t-values were greater than 2, and all questionnaire indicators had a significant relationship with the latent variables (the eight factors) at a confidence level of over 95%. To determine the priority of each dimension, pairwise comparisons using the Bonferroni test were conducted among the eight dimensions. The findings showed that economic challenges, lack of a supportive framework, and social challenges were the top priorities.

These findings can serve as a guide for policymakers and planners in designing effective supportive measures to increase the childbearing rate and promote a young and productive population in the province.