Birth rate decline in the UK

We look at why people in the UK are having fewer children, and how this has affected the birth rate in the country over time.

Transcript

00:00Fertility rates in the UK are falling overall, so why have birth rates risen slightly?

00:05Well, the answer lies in timing. More people are having children later in life, which pushes up

00:09numbers in the short term as older age groups catch up. At the same time, younger generations

00:14are delaying parenthood or are choosing smaller families, creating a longer-term decline.

00:20So what role do economic pressures play? Well, far greater than in previous generations.

00:25You see, childcare can cost as much as a second rent or mortgage,

00:28while affordable housing is out of reach for many younger adults.

00:32Where cultural expectations once guided family size,

00:35financial realities now dominate decisions about whether and when to start a family.

00:40How much later are people waiting to have children? Well, in the UK, the average age of first-time

00:45mothers reached 31 in 2023. By contrast, it was 25.8 in 1983 and just 24.6 in 1943. Longer education,

00:56career building and financial obstacles are all part of the picture, but waiting does have

01:00consequences. Older first-time parents face higher fertility risks and more complex pregnancies,

01:05driving up demand for fertility support and for specialist maternity care.

01:10Juggling established careers with childcare can also be difficult, and many find themselves caring

01:14for ageing relatives as well at the same time. Socially older parents might also have fewer peers going

01:19through the same stage, leaving support networks thinner. So how are services responding to these

01:25pressures then? Well, rising births among immigrant and multicultural families mean health and community

01:30programmes must adapt. Translation services, culturally aware training and more inclusive groups are

01:36helping parents to feel supported. Local communities are also stepping in, creating ways for families to

01:41connect across language and cultural barriers. So what about the wider systems that shape the trends

01:48then? Well, government policy on childcare funding, parental leave and housing plays a decisive role

01:55in how sustainable family life feels. Access to healthcare, from fertility treatment to maternity services,

02:01affects when people have children. Workplaces that support flexibility make it easier to combine

02:06careers with parenting, while social networks and community groups provide day-to-day help.

02:12Put together, these pressures and supports reveal a society in transition. Family life is no longer set

02:18by tradition, but negotiated against economic realities, health concerns and social change.

02:23Parenthood today is being reshaped, not only in numbers, but in timing, structure and also in support.