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  • 4 months ago
Fertility rates in England, Scotland and Wales have dropped to record lows, with women now having fewer children on average than at any point since records began. Experts say the trend is linked to rising costs, delayed parenthood, and economic uncertainty — and warn it could have major consequences for the future.

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00:00Fertility rates in England, Scotland and Wales have dropped to record lows.
00:04New figures from the Office of National Statistics show the rate in England and Wales fell to 1.41
00:10children per woman in 2024, while Scotland was even lower at 1.25. To keep a population steady
00:18without migration, the rate needs to be around 2.1. The decline comes despite a small rise in
00:24live births last year, as overall population growth outweighed the increase. Parents are also
00:30getting older. The average mother is now 31 and father is nearly 34. Regional differences remain.
00:38Luton has the highest fertility rate at 2, while the City of London was the lowest at just 0.32.
00:45Experts say that people are postponing having children, often due to economic uncertainty,
00:50high housing costs and expensive childcare. Unless long-term support improves, they warn
00:56fertility rates are likely to stay low, raising questions about how future generations will
01:01support an ageing population.
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