Displaying items by tag: fertility rates

Fertility rates in Great Britain have fallen to record lows, continuing a long-term decline seen since 2010. In England and Wales, the average dropped to 1.41 babies per woman in 2024, while Scotland recorded an even lower 1.25. Demographers say a replacement rate of 2.1 is needed to sustain population levels. Despite this, the number of births rose in 2024 due to immigration-driven population growth, with more women of childbearing age now living in the UK. Births to mothers from southern Asia and Africa have risen sharply, while births to EU-born mothers have declined since Brexit. Luton now records the highest fertility rate, with seven in ten babies born to foreign-born mothers. Fertility has fallen in all local authorities since 2014, though Birmingham has seen a recent rise. Experts warn that fewer babies combined with an ageing population will increase economic pressure, as fewer workers will be available to support rising healthcare and pension demands in the future.

In India, Namrata Nangia and her husband long to have another child, but are held back by financial and time pressures - a dilemma increasingly shared worldwide. According to a new UN report, a global decline in fertility is not due to personal choice alone; many couples feel unable to afford larger families. Of 14,000 people surveyed across fourteen nations, one in five reported having fewer children than desired. Key barriers included financial limitations (cited by 39%) and lack of time. In nations like South Korea, the figure rose to 58%. Surprisingly, infertility accounted for just 12%. The UN urges caution against panicked policy responses, warning that such crises can prompt harmful nationalist or gender-conservative measures. Today’s challenges mirror shifts seen in countries that once feared overpopulation. As living costs, job demands, and social expectations rise, many parents like Namrata choose to focus their love and energy on one child - wrestling with the tension between desire and reality.