Birth rate hits record low - 1.49 children per woman

[MidnightPatrol]

The ONS has released its latest data on the UK birthrate.

The number of children per women has dropped from 1.55 in 2022 to 1.49 in 2022 - the lowest on record.

This is the lowest number of births in the UK since 2002 - when the population was 10 million people smaller.

Do we think this problem will inevitably worsen? Are there particular reasons people are having less children (unique to the UK vs the rest of the world?).

Should we be taking steps to increase it / stop it reducing further?

I don't know how old some of you but I disagree with the posters saying that having both parents working is a new thing. I was born in 1981 and both my parents worked full time, as did those of everyone I knew. If anything, maternity leave and rights are better today. My mum got 12 weeks off and I was in nursery after that. So I don't think the drop in birth rate is down to that.

I don't think it's so much down to both people working ( and agree with you- I'm 50 and both my parents worked, as did my aunt's and friends parents). It's more the cost of childcare now that is far higher than it was.

Not for males.