UK fertility rate drops by 18.8% in 12 years

It's a global issue, not just a UK one.

I'm not sure it's a bad thing, I don't think humans are particularly good for the planet.

And I'm definately not convinced that finances are the major factor. Russian women get the equivalent of 2 years salary as a bonus when they have a second or subsequent child and they've got one of the lowest birth rates in the entire world.

It just seems that, when women have choice, they choose not to. They want to do other things instead.

This is something that is happening in a lot of countries as they get richer and women have more control over their bodies. It seems to be worst in countries like South Korea and China where women are expected to care for their husbands parents as well as their own children and have paid employment.

So, if the National Care Service ever happens that might help. And men being better at childrearing would make a third child seem less daunting.

The other thing that I've heard people mention when talking about third children is fitting car seats into cars. I'm one of four, and when we were kids we were all crammed into the back seat. I'm sure car seats make it safer now, but it makes the practicalities of life with more than two children more difficult. Don't know what to do about that to be honest.

It can only be a good thing. Fewer people means a better standard of living.

Loads of reasons but cost of living is definitely a factor. Even people on very good incomes have to sit down and do the maths before deciding to have another. We were planning on two but wouldn’t have gone beyond that purely for financial reasons.

The other factor is age - people settling down later and having smaller families as a result. We have one, second pregnancy was ectopic, and after that we concluded we were simply too old.

Expense mainly. In a lot of places people even on decent salaries are struggling with the cost of living and in debt.

The solution, in an ideal world, would be £500 a month to everyone with a 0-3 year old I reckon. That would make the difference between affording a child and not for so many people. Obviously would never happen but the sorts of suggestions people seem to make to incentivise starting a family always seem utterly insulting and governments will have a hard time avoiding problems of dropping fertility unless they offer serious levels of investment and support.

Mostly down to costs
Only the poor and rich can afford to have children now. Middle class couples are unable to afford children or any further children. It's a shame.

We stuck at 1 due to the cost of childcare

Cost is a factor of course but I think the main reason is the fact that many people see themselves as young well into their 30s
DS is 30. None of his men or women friends have children. Most haven't even started to look for a 'proper' partner. They are nearly all still going on dates, hook ups or relationships that last a few months.
Not many of them will be ready any time soon. Lots will leave it too late.

Governments don't care. They'll just keep importing a million people a year.

THIS!!!
And just out of curiosity what country are you from?

Childcare costs will be a major driver.
Unless we had moved overseas there’s no way we could have coped.

The UK has high house prices, high childcare costs and relatively low wages. That combination is awful massive deterrent to have children.

Expense, lack of affordable housing

20 years ago I had my first child and within 12 months I had a 3 bedroom housing association home, which I'm still in. I went onto have 3 more children because I was able to stay home with them whilst my husband worked. We easily survived on one income, with affordable rent.

There's no way on earth if I was 20 years old now I would be able to get afford housing or be able to stay at home and there would be no HA properties available.

I would probably have 1 child.

@MidnightPatrol

The difference is i accepted children meant giving up my pre child lifestyle. They have no intention of doing so. It's not a housing issue for them (different reasons but it's not money basically). Have friends in Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Germany - all choosing one or none, choice not fertility related

I think that time is underrated as a factor.

All the labour saving devices we have these days don't make up for the commuting, the lack of time to see family, to see friends... Add in children and clubs, homework etc

If people could earn a good wage from 4 days or a tolerable one from 3 days, they'd be more likely to have more kids IMO.

Yes. I love my daughter fiercely but I worry that as a child of wealthy parents, even though I have a master’s degree and a good career, financially I’m not well off. Even in one generation I’ve slipped backwards, how will it be for her? How will global warming impact her life. I worry so much about the world I’ve bought her into.

Women are having their children later, so more likely to have one or two rather than 3 or 4 if they had started earlier

most families need two incomes, and the cost of childcare

UK may be at the extreme end but this trend is happening across the developed world. It's happening in countries with cheap childcare lots of government support for families. Several countries have tried offering specific incentives to have children, and it's made very little difference.

More people chosing to not have kids, more people happy to stay single, choosing careers over parenthood. Not wanting to pass on genetic illnesses.

I think from 4 of my friends from school only 1 has kids

@Lele101

Totally understand - I'm in the same boat.

It hides so many issues - everyone in my generation with the same period problems aged 10 and up is now in the same situation, TTC and getting diagnosed left right and centre with PCOS / Endo.

It wasn't a judgement of people being on the pill early, it was a comment saying that long term contraception has covered all the issues up and now contributes to low birth rate.

According to Stephen's Shaw's documentary Birthgap, something like 80% of women who were childless at 40 HAD wanted children, but had not found the right person at the right time to have them with. (Or something like that, anyway). So that's a big part of it.

And far more now seem to be having 1 or 2 children max, whereas 3 seemed to be more common a generation ago; that's probably because of depressed wages/high house prices/general cost of living increases.

It's complicated. House prices, nursery costs and general cost of living are a factor but we also have a younger generation who do not want to compromise on their pre child lifestyles, choosing pets over children in some cases, choosing a single child to minimise impact. The trend towards singletons is common across Europe even where there is subsidised childcare.

My dc are all saying they only want one because they don't want the cost of two, and they openly admit it's lifestyle related, holidays, gadgets, eating out ...

That plus it's becoming more and more acceptable for women to be more equal to men in the workplace, and it isn't just the expected now that they stay home and pop out and look after kids while men do all the important jobs.

Childcare and housing costs in the UK will have some impact, but the reality is exactly the same is happening all over the world, except for sub-Saharan Africa. Even the nordics with cheap child care and loads of parental leave is facing exactly the same fall in birth rates