UK birth rate plummets

[gas112]

Newly published UK government data has revealed that the fertility rates in England and Wales have now plummeted to the lowest levels since records began in 1938.

The average total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime – was 1.44 children per woman in 2023.

The shocking plunge was revealed in new figures from the government’s Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In 2023, 591,072 live births were recorded.

The figure is the lowest number since 1977.
The new ONS data shows that birth rates are continuing to fall since 2021.

Figures for 2022 showed the average TFR had declined to 1.49 children per woman, down from 1.55 in 2021.

“Total fertility rates declined in 2023,” Greg Ceely, head of population health monitoring at the ONS, said in a statement.

“Looking in more detail at fertility rates among women of different ages, the decline in fertility rates has been the most dramatic in the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups.”

 

[Notch7]

I don’t understand the term “fertility rate” that has been used here.

The reason for lowering birth rate is largely because women have careers and far less couples can survive on 1 salary nowadays

Thank goodness we have more immigrants to take up the slack.

 

[JohnD]

Lots of young people can't afford to buy a home.

Or get a regular, permanent job.

Not conducive to having a family.

 

[gas112]

Lots of young people can't afford to buy a home.

Or get a regular, permanent job.

Not conducive to having a family.

and that effects fertility rates ?

 

[securespark]

I don’t understand the term “fertility rate” that has been used here.

The reason for lowering birth rate is largely because women have careers and far less couples can survive on 1 salary nowadays

Thank goodness we have more immigrants to take up the slack.

But presumably that figure is the total and includes all babies born last year?

 

[Mottie]

Lots of young people can't afford to buy a home.

Or get a regular, permanent job.

Not conducive to having a family.

Rubbish. So why is it that those that don’t work, don’t have a partner and live in subsidised housing on benefits have a tribe of kids? Most of the largest families live in subsidised housing with the parent(s) not having a regular, permanent job. Doesn’t stop them knocking out kid after kid after kid.

 

[Brigadier]

So why is it that those that don’t work, don’t have a partner and live in subsidised housing on benefits have a tribe of kids?

The next generation of RWR immigration - blamers gotta come from somewhere

 

[motorbiking]

Contraception and cultural preferences. Birth rates are also declining in France and Germany.

 

[Nwgs2]

Working people don’t have time or wait longer to have a family now. As above one wage cant run a house anymore, so both have to work and make sacrifices.

And someone has to pay all that tax to dish out to the undeserving

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I'm going to type the following, it'll come across as being very traditional and conservative. Please note, in typing the following, I'm not saying we should be returning to these days, I'm simply suggesting this could be part of the cause of the decline.

Years ago, the typical family had the man going out to work and the woman staying home (housewife.) High majority of these couples would then have kids, looked after by the mum while dad went out to work. No I'm not suggesting it was utopia, no I'm not saying all these families were perfect, I'm simply referring to the mechanics of it all.

As has been touched on, we now live in a very different world. Stands to reason with many (most?) women now wanting a job/career or being forced into it due to cost of living, having kids maybe gets pushed back and back, sometimes never happening at all.

And more women now don't want to have kids, which is their prerogative.

This is where a well managed immigration system is of benefit, however we don't have that at present!

 

[ajohn]

If you want info to shed light on some of the "points" raised there is plenty on the NOS but more detail is going to be in spreadsheets - eg birth rate variations by area in the country. Probably wealth related levels as well but I didn't look that far.
A NOS Graph

For some of the periods on that the result is a growing work force. It hasn't for some time now so along comes an ageing population and a shrinking workforce to maintain it all.

Personally I think the shape can be explained by rate of increases in prosperity at the times of the birth and general stability in the country at the time. People's expectations now are rather different to say the 60's. That is just another factor. The gov's answer, free child care, child allowances all propped up by a shrinking workforce and to some extent pensioners that do pay tax but lots get a gain from the state pension.

 

[JohnD]

and that effects fertility rates ?

It affects the number of couples starting a family.

An accumulation of individuals making personal decisions, forms a trend.

 

[JohnD]

View attachment 361040

That graph does not mention the availability of the contraceptive pill.

Starting in the 1960s and free from 1974.

Just a pill: 60 years of the contraceptive pill on the NHS - The National Archives blog

On 20 January 1961 Searle & Co wrote to the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health to ‘give advance notice of our plans for the introduction of an oral birth control tablet’. This hormone-based product had already been on the market in the UK for three years, but under a different name...

blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk

 

[Odds]

edit.

 

[JohnD]

Years ago, the typical family had the man going out to work and the woman staying home (housewife.)

Can you give me an idea of the period you have in mind?