Rethinking decline: why blaming migrants might miss the point

[Hearingelem]

Hi all,
I've been mulling over some unsettling trends in the UK and wanted to hear your thoughts—particularly those of us noticing fewer kids around and schools closing.
First, I’m not blaming migrants—they’re filling gaps we’ve created. But it hit me: if people who’ve lived here for generations aren’t having children, who is keeping our society going? It’s like watching your family line slowly fade.
Here’s the gist:

• Fewer families are having children, or delaying them until their 30s or beyond.
• Abortions are up—almost 30% of pregnancies end in abortion now.
• Primary schools are shutting or merging due to low pupil numbers.
• Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of migrants are arriving each year, and tens of thousands of British-born people are leaving.

It got me thinking: if we plant seeds everywhere but only the ones in the right environment grow, shouldn’t we rethink that environment—rather than blaming the plants? 🚨 Shocking stats at a glance:

• 29.7% of all conceptions in England & Wales ended in legal abortion in 2022—nearly 3 in 10 pregnancies—and up from 20.8% in 2012 (Sky News, The Guardian, Office for National Statistics).
• That’s 247,703 conceptions aborted in 2022—a 13% increase from 2021 (Office for National Statistics).
• Migrant inflows: ~1.2 million long-term arrivals in year to June 2024; 728,000 net migration (arrivals minus departures) (Full Fact).
• Emigration: 479,000 people left in that same period—including a sizeable number of British nationals (Full Fact).

I’m not here to stir division. I want people—especially those quick to blame migrants—to look in the mirror: if our birth environment is failing us, aren't we partly responsible? Let’s talk solutions: Affordable housing, gig‑free childcare, pay transparency, flexible working, serious sex-ed and contraception access… what would help you feel like having kids here and now? Curious to hear your views—especially if this hits home for you. Sources: ONS conception stats (2022) & abortion trends: [ONS Conception Bulletin] ONS net migration & emigration data: [ONS Immigration Statistics]

Yet more chatgpt posts

Bump

Your post makes no sense, you are mixing apples and pears.

Japan is setting the trend.

60% sexless
Birth rate declining
Immigration increasing.

Reasons

Young people don't need relationships.

They work long hours.
Eat take aways or have food delivered.
Hooked on anime or mange
Chatgpt for conversation
Ai
Gaming
JAV for sexual fulfilment

That is what I’m seeing here as well.

The school closures & merges in London are actually quite shocking & the government seem to be have taken by surprise by how fast birth rates have dropped.

It's bad for all schools as funding is based on headcounts.

I don't think any country has reversed falling birth rates because once they drop something shifts in society.

But we are going to have to be more accepting of more immigration or pay a lot more tax & likely both because of the aging population. I think moving away from capitalism is unlikely.

The reality is that once it requires 2 incomes to run a household then birth rates will fall.

Abortions are up—almost 30% of pregnancies end in abortion now.

Well, that’s bollocks for one thing, at least in the UK. Latest stats from a government source are just over 2%. Can’t be bothered to engage with the rest - very lazy posting to just use ChatGPT.

You have completely ignored one huge factor - automation. Which is much more likely to lose people their jobs than immigration.

I’m also not sure your stats on abortion are correct - where did you get that figure from?

One of the most basic needs is housing. Supply and demand pushing up prices and the average family can barely afford to rent never mind buy. It wasn’t as bad 10 years ago. People can’t be having 3/4 children these days as they simply can’t afford to.

It's almost like socialism is the answer.

Where I live they are opening new schools as lots of people are moving here and many new housing estates.

i’m not surprised schools in London are losing children it’s insanely expensive.

Abortion stats are true
3 out of 10 pregnancy’s are leading to abortion and it is mostly white women.

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/abortion-figures-pregnancy-termination-record-ons-b2785674.html

If you don’t want to click

Legal abortions in England and Wales now account for a record high proportion of conceptions, with official statistics revealing almost three in 10 pregnancies ended this way in 2022.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS)reported the figure stood at 29.7 per cent in 2022, a rise from 26.5 per cent a year earlier and 20.8 per cent in 2012

Figures published last year by the Government showed the number of abortions in 2022 for women living in England and Wales was at a record level – at 251,377.

This is why I was saying that you can’t blame immigration for seeing differences in the UK when British women are not having children and are having record amounts of abortions.

The abortion thing is true

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/abortion-figures-pregnancy-termination-record-ons-b2785674.html

Where I live they are opening new schools as lots of people are moving here and many new housing estates

i’m not surprised schools in London are losing children it’s insanely expensive.

It's more concentrated in London but definitely widespread.

The constant background noise of life is that the planet and country are going to hell in a hand basket, there won't be any jobs in a decade and it's unaffordable to have a good standard of living, especially once you've had children. I think not wanting to have children is a pretty natural response to this.

Apologies - I was looking at government statistics, not the ONS ones, which are reported as 22.1 per 1,000 women but didn’t state that was the overall rate, not related to the number of conceptions.

Perhaps that’s a lesson for me not to believe government statistics!

Weird to tie pro-natalism in with anti-immigrant sentiments.

Most the anti-immigrant sentiment in UK focuses on "irregular" migration, not skilled migrants, btw.

Having Kids is a total PITA !! of course many people choose not to burden their lives with risks of making babies and childcare & don't see children as a legacy they culturally must have. This is a healthy choice for most. Humans also quite rationally choose smaller families if they are optimistic their existing kids will reach adulthood in a healthy state.

Banning contraception, removing/reducing pensions and causing child mortality rates to soar would increase the birth rate, those would be effective to make bigger families. Not that I'm endorsing any of that.... Seems to be localised policy trend in USA, though.

Erosion of the social contract in lots of ways. Everything from rampant shoplifting, benefit fraud, rising taxes to pay for ballooning welfare bill, jobs that don't pay even for those on in-work benefits and soaring childcare costs. Every new shop appears to be a money laundering operation which the government quietly condones because they need the huge tax revenues from the rampant criminal enterprises. Meanwhile town centres become no-go zones populated by druggies and those who exude an air of quiet menace.

I agree the housing crisis in my area is shocking with no affordable homes for the young starting out in life and absolutely no chance of a council house anymore unless you are a migrant in my area. Less and less jobs as things become more and more automated, makes you wonder what employment there will be in 20 years time.
The future definitely looks bleak no wonder British people are no longer having children.

Don’t they say that the inception of the birth control pill was the thing that changed everything. People no longer had to get harried early as they could have sex and not fall pregnant. Then post world war two women who had been utilised in the work place didn’t want to go back into the home full time and it became more commonplace for women to work. Then add in declining living standards, an inability to live independently until people are much older, cost of living, Peter Pan mindsets. I think it’s far less to do with migrants and far more to do with younger people not wanting the inconvenience and expense of reproducing.