Cost of living is stopping couples from starting a family, new research finds

Couples who want a family are blaming rising housing and childcare expenses for not trying to get pregnant. Only a quarter of the 32-year-olds in England who say they want more children or to become parents for the first time are actively trying to get pregnant, according to new research.

Of the 7,200 who took part in research, who were born in 1989-90, just over half have already become parents. The major analysis carried out by the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, found more than a quarter (28%) of the 2,045 people (who either want children or want more children but were not currently trying to conceive) said financial reasons were behind their decision-making.

Lead author Dr Alina Pelikh said the findings suggest that "financial and employment constraints are viewed by many as major challenges and key reasons for postponing parenthood." She said they listed cost-of-living pressures such as rising housing and childcare expenses as possible contributors.

The paper stated: "These findings highlight the significant role that finances and employment play in the decision on when to start trying for a(nother) child. The slightly higher prevalence of these concerns among women may reflect existing evidence that women's careers often suffer setbacks in income and career progression after childbirth."

Overall, around a quarter of the more than 7,000 respondents said they were not sure about having more children or becoming parents for the first time. The paper stated: "Previous research has shown that a high proportion of individuals who have uncertain fertility intentions in their 20s and 30s, or postpone having children, end up not having children at all.

"Taken together, our findings suggest that we might expect to see a smaller average family size and a higher proportion of individuals without children among this cohort compared to older generations."

READ MORE:

Dr Pelikh said the findings "highlight the challenges this generation faces as they weigh up their childbearing plans in their early 30s". She added: "...While parents will naturally have many reasons for deciding on the timing and spacing of their children, it is likely that current cost-of-living pressures, with rising housing and childcare expenses, are also shaping the environment in which this group is making fertility decisions."