Almost half of British adults are either postponing having children or deciding not to have them at all, with financial pressures emerging as the leading reason, a new poll has revealed.
A survey conducted by Ipsos of 18- to 50-year-olds, shared exclusively with The Independent, found that 44% of adults plan to delay starting a family or forgo parenthood entirely. The cost of raising children – covering essentials such as food, clothing, and education – was the most cited reason (39%). A third of respondents also highlighted the skyrocketing cost of childcare as a deterrent, despite the government’s recent extension of free nursery hours.
Beyond finances, some adults said they were opting out of parenthood because they simply didn’t want children, while others pointed to concerns about climate change and the environmental impact of having children.
Birth rates at record lows
The findings come as birth rates in England and Wales hit their lowest levels on record. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more people died than were born in the UK in 2023, a trend expected to continue and widen from 2030 onwards. This means population growth will be driven largely by immigration rather than births.
Fertility rates in the UK have declined faster than in any other G7 country, falling by 25% since 2010. While women in the UK still have slightly more children on average than those in countries like Japan, Italy, and Canada, the gap is narrowing.
“Harder to be a parent than 20 years ago”
More than half of adults (56%) believe that raising children is more challenging today than it was two decades ago. Women were particularly likely to feel this way (61% compared to 52% of men). Even older generations agreed, with 59% of 55- to 75-year-olds saying parenthood is harder now.
The rising cost of living, soaring housing prices, and stagnant wages were among the top reasons cited. One in three adults also said that making childcare more affordable would encourage more people to have children.
Political responses
The decline in birth rates has drawn concern from across the political spectrum.
Lord Michael Farmer has argued that the UK’s tax system discourages childbearing, claiming it is “one of the least family-friendly in the OECD.” He criticised the lack of tax allowances for dependants and said single parents were particularly disadvantaged.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has resisted calls to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap, despite internal party pressure, while Reform UK’s Nigel Farage has pledged to abolish it if his party gains power. However, Ipsos polling shows the public still trusts Labour more than any other party to support families.
The Conservatives trail both Reform and Labour on the issue, with party leader Kemi Badenoch previously describing maternity pay as “excessive” and arguing that families on benefits should make the same “responsible decisions” about family size as everyone else.
Notably, more than one in five adults said they don’t trust any major party to provide effective support for families.
The housing and childcare crisis
Tackling housing costs emerged as the most popular policy change to encourage more births, with 42% of respondents saying affordable housing would influence their decision to have children. Average rents in the UK have now reached a record £1,365 per month, while rising house prices continue to push homeownership further out of reach for younger generations.
Childcare costs are also among the highest in Europe, consuming 37–43% of the average UK income for full-time care. The government has begun rolling out 15 hours of free childcare for children aged nine months to two years old, with plans to increase this to 30 hours a week from September.
However, analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests demand will be 25% higher than expected, and with the number of childcare places barely increasing in recent years, many parents may struggle to access the promised support. Photo by Lucélia Ribeiro, Wikimedia commons.