What’s DINK and Why Are More Couples Choosing the Lifestyle?
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,John Paul Correa and Gialina Arceta-Correa
The term "DINK," short for "Dual Income, No Kids," refers to couples who both earn income, whether through employment or business, and have consciously decided not to have children. This lifestyle choice is becoming increasingly common, reflecting evolving attitudes on marriage, career priorities, and family planning.
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), over 800,000 live births and more than 280,000 marriages were registered in the Philippines between January and September 2023. These figures represent a significant decline compared with the same period in 2022. This trend may reflect a growing societal shift toward smaller families, as the country appears to align with global patterns that associate reduced birth rates with economic and personal prosperity. DINK is an emerging lifestyle contributing to this shift. Increasingly, couples are choosing to forgo parenthood to focus on building wealth, enjoying greater autonomy, and avoiding the pressures and responsibilities associated with raising children.
The DINK acronym has gained popularity across platforms like TikTok and other social media, particularly among millennials–those born between 1981 and 1996. Many in this demographic are not only adopting the lifestyle, but also creating and sharing content that celebrates its benefits, further normalizing and promoting the trend online.
Even before DINK became a familiar term on the internet, Gialina Arceta-Correa and her husband, John Paul Correa, had already chosen the lifestyle as their preferred path in marriage.
The Correas’ wedding day
“For me, in our six years of marriage and 11 years together, we can focus more on each other and ourselves. So, we become more solid overtime. Because of course when there is a child, the attention is divided, and so is the effort. Everything is divided. Since we don't have children, we are each other’s ‘babies.’ We have a lot of time for everything, not just inside our home but outside, in the outer circle and community, Gialina said.
As the eldest child in a single-parent household, 32-year-old senior photographer Gia took on the role of a second parent to her siblings while also working to help her mother cover her college tuition. Through these early responsibilities, she quickly learned the importance of being financially prepared before starting a family of her own.
“My environment, especially the family setup, has a big influence on the personal decision not to have a baby at all. Because of course being the eldest.... My common answer to Mommy is ‘I'm still too tired.’ Of course, I took care of four children, my brothers. I was exposed to that responsibility too early,” she shared.
For John Paul, being in this type of relationship offers a sense of security and greater flexibility in managing shared financial responsibilities. These include their jointly owned home, currently under conjugal liability, as well as a car and various daily living expenses.
The DINK acronym has gained popularity across platforms like TikTok and other social media, particularly among millennials–those born between 1981 and 1996.
Family holds an unquestionable place of importance in Filipino culture, often reinforcing fixed, and at times heteronormative, expectations around marriage and parenthood. For Gialina and John Paul, who currently reside overseas, the questions never seem to stop whether it's about pregnancy, raising children, or why they’ve chosen the DINK lifestyle.
For couples like them, navigating these cultural expectations can be particularly challenging, especially during family gatherings. Still, they emphasize the importance of open communication, mutual understanding, and shared commitment as key to making the DINK lifestyle both fulfilling and sustainable.
The Correas enjoying more time together
"Some people say we're selfish. Like, ‘What’s that about? They got married and don’t even plan to have kids?’—which is really insensitive, because you never know what a couple might be going through. But honestly, a lot of it just comes from people not being able to accept our reality as DINKs. So, we just smile and change the topic. Sometimes, we show them pictures of our cat, Bella. Bella is our daughter."
The Correas and their cat, Bella.
When faced with questions, DINK couples openly share their aspirations and the satisfaction they find in their chosen lifestyle. They emphasize that their decision wasn’t made on a whim, but was the result of thoughtful compromises, honest conversations, and a mutual understanding—established even before they got married. After all, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for living a fulfilling and meaningful life.
Esca Bacordo is a 20-year-old journalism student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Their work explores contemporary social and cultural issues, with a focus on evolving family structures, reproductive choices, narratives that engage with experiences of people of diverse SOGIESC.
