Rising house prices and living costs are driving down birth rates in London, resulting in a 17% decrease in the number of babies born in the capital between 2012 and 2021, with 23,000 fewer

babies being born. London schools are struggling to stay open due to the shrinking numbers of pupils, particularly in areas with the highest house prices such as Camden, which has announced the closure of four primary schools over the past four years.

The closure of schools is having a devastating impact on communities, and the executive headteacher of Rhyl Community School, Helen Connor, warns that without schools, there will be a lack of educated young people to work in the community. Families are being forced to move out of London due to the high cost of living, and many London schools are at risk of closure or mergers. The situation is leading to a city without children, which Chris Hodder, a former London resident, calls a "necropolis." Photo by Mike Quinn, Wikimedia commons.