UK fertility rate drops by 18.8% in 12 years

In Italy too. Having one child is pretty much the norm. It doesn't really go along with the Dolmio ad idea of big extended families sitting around the table, but that's what the statistics show.

I think in Spain it is common to only have one child and have that child very late.

I only had one anyway, but if I were considering having a child today, I wouldn't have bothered. Bad enough the cost of housing, wages, etc but the thought of them going to school where they teach kids that they can change sex is a big fat no from me.

Haha no my mum is definitely living her best stki life (which I approve of)

I don't think it is at the extreme end. It's about average for Europe. Italy and Spain, despite being supposedly so family friendly, have lower birth rates. Fertility has been extremely low in Eastern Europe for years now. SK and Japan also have extremely low birth rates, to the point where their populations are shrinking.

It will certainly be a problem in 30 years time when we haven’t got enough doctors or nurses to look after us all!

Childcare costs. Housing costs. Poor healthcare. The list goes on…

The poor bashing has started. "Breeding like rabbits".

They do quickly pick up on UK fertility rates ( as they face similar costs ) does mean a slump in population not a cliff - like Japan or other low immigration nations are facing - so we muddle along for longer with aging population importing workers and other tweaks.

However if we suddenly look unappealing to large number of immigrants then we'd already be in trouble and as more countries face same situation needing immigration we may well get fewer than we need.

@OptimismvsRealism Being childfree is definitely a valid and often positive choice.

I’m taken aback at your description of how adult children treat their parents though:

They leave and call you once a year to ask for money
-They put you in a home and you cry for your husband who died many years ago
-you die

Is that how you treat your parents?!

We already rely on immigration. 1 million people come in every year on various visas. The country wouldn't function if we had a net zero approach to immigration. But it's a ponzi scheme ultimately because they get old as well.

Many counties are going to need to rely on immigration - and we may have to compete with them for workers as well as not lose our own trained young people to other countries offering higher standards of living.

That doesn't look like it will be a problem for a while but it's something you'd hope someone in government was keeping a eye on for long term planning.

Immigration is only going to keep increasing. Particularly while there's wars and eventually climate crisis displacing people.

We can't bloody afford them.

House prices + childcare costs. I'd have loved a second child, can't afford it, so I won't.

I am aware that plenty of people would have forged ahead anyway..

Well it's the cap and the cut in services and the rising cost of housing and living all at once. Rather than just one figure.

However the previous government did want people on lower incomes to have fewer kids and cost less in benefits and at same time cost of living increased and wages stagnated - so people do respond by having fewer kids.

It was predictable and in fact was predicted by some - and the current government clearly doesn't see it as an issue yet and hasn't made changes - so it is where we are - the consequences will be as I said earlier later retirement (with knock on effects) and more immigration to fill jobs we won't have people for.

I missed out having to "socialise" by hanging out with other parents awkwardly at extortionate parties

Fertility rates are declining rapidly across the entire world, especially so in most developed countries.

If you take e.g. Germany or Hungary, the level of support they provide to families with children, silly low cost of childcare, taxation exemption, the list goes on, still their fertility rates are about 1.58.

Even in Africa it's declined from 4.7 to 4.1 in the same 12 years which is 13%.

Probably not a bad thing given planet's resources

I am sure you love it and fair play to you but I don't like children at any age. For me, it seems to go:

-Sleep depriving pooing potato
(Childcare expense kicks in)
-Sleep depriving pooing kamikaze with the blocks thing
-Mummummummummum stage
(No more holidays in terms time kick in)
-Endless homework support
(School trips expense kicks in)
-You still have to take them everywhere for some reason
-Mental health crises
-annoying know-it-all phase
-Standing on the side of sporting pitches in the freezing cold (or sitting in drafting orchestra/dance/drama halls)
-I HATE YOU MUM WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A BITCH
-Off to university (or drugs/drop out)
(University, flat deposit or on duty solicitor expenses kicks in)
-They leave and call you once a year to ask for money
-They put you in a home and you cry for your husband who died many years ago
-you die

Argggg no they don't because they WON'T PAY OUT EITHER

Well, if £17/week is a decision making criteria for a family to have another child or not then it's probably good that they don't.

Coat and abysmal maternal health services are the big ticket items
more broadly our attitude just sucks.

As a society in Britain we treat children as a nuisance not a joy.

we also treat women who have children like shit at every level of society from queuing to pay in shops to shafting them in divorce / sharing of assets and CMS payments

there is a very heavy price to pay and a lot of women don’t want to sign up for it.

Cost of childcare
lack of support
poor healthcare
pay is too low at all levels

Goodness, what a simplified and crass way to look at things.

Yes exactly, people are so unrealistic, I'm not convinced that the young people today will have this all covered by AI in 20 years time.

Have you got your own hospital, ambulance, police force, road roller, street lights, army?

And do you actually want to live in a country where people without a comfortable private pension are left to rot? Would witnessing that not make your life a little less pleasant?