BBH USA Study Explores Unlocking Power of Child-Free Consumer

​BBH USA unveiled its first edition of the Silent Spenders ethnographic study, challenging traditional age-based demographics to uncover what drives human behaviour, ‘The Silent Spenders,’ offers an in-depth look at the lives of DINKs (Dual-Income, No Kids), revealing a nuanced portrait of a group often overlooked and misunderstood in popular culture.

As the US birth rate hovers near a record all-time low, a growing number of Americans are either choosing not to have children or opting to delay parenthood, and they’re reshaping everything from spending habits to social norms. This self-funded research study from BBH USA aims to move beyond data points and understand real people, providing clients with clearer, more empathetic ways to connect with specific demographics. It combines broad quantitative research with focused, in-depth ethnographic research.

DINKs aren’t defined by what they don’t have — they’re defined by the freedom that decision affords. With tens of thousands more in disposable income annually than the average US household, the research reveals DINKs are thoughtful, values-driven, and quietly reshaping what success, connection, and contribution look like in today’s world.

The study uncovers how DINKs live, spend, and give. It reveals that while they have more disposable income, they aren’t necessarily eager to part with it — describing habits centered around saving, investing, and bargain-hunting. Emotionally, many feel more able to show up for others — from aging parents to nieces and nephews — precisely because they don’t have kids of their own.

Key findings include:

* The top drivers for choosing a child-free lifestyle are freedom, financial stability, and concern about the state of the world.

* DINKs (Dual Income, No Kids) are 60% more likely than non-DINKs to view multiple places as home and twice as likely to identify globalism as a core value.

* Their most popular love language is quality time.

* When it comes to spending, DINKs show virtually no difference from non-DINKs in terms of being carefree or cautious with money.

* They are twice as likely to feel judged for their life choices compared to their peers with children.

* 76 percent of DINKs believe they’re doing a good job prioritising their mental wellness.

* The most frustrating misconception about DINKs is that they’re selfish.

* Only one in four DINKs consider convention an important value—20 percent less than non-DINKs.

* 41 percent of DINKs cite adventure as a top life value.

* 44 percent say one of the biggest misconceptions about them is that they don’t like kids.

“With our inaugural Silent Spenders research, we set out to understand a group that’s often misunderstood — and rarely marketed to — on their own terms,” said Samantha Deevy, chief strategy officer at BBH USA. “These are people who’ve opted out of one of society’s most entrenched norms, having children, and that choice has opened the door to an entirely different roadmap for adulthood. For DINKs, freedom, wellness, and global perspective aren’t fringe values, they’re foundational. Their lives are shaped by intentionality, emotional generosity, and a desire for connection, not convention—and spoiler alert, many of them love kids! even when they have no interest in having them themselves.”

In terms of geography, many DINKs are unanchored — global citizens who move frequently, take sabbaticals, or work remotely from multiple locations. And when it comes to community, they’re building it themselves — often online — in spaces where they can be candid, humorous, and judgment-free.

As an agency, BBH believes when the world zigs, zag. Which is why when the industry can’t seem to help but default to talking about generations, BBH searches for more meaningful insight. The Silent Spenders is ethnographic research on “lifestyle choice” groups (like DINKs) with high spending power that are criminally underexamined by agencies.

Explore the study and findings here.