The number of babies born in England and Wales is now at its lowest since the 1970s, official figures show.

fertility rate – which measures how many children are born per woman during her child-bearing years – is the lowest on record at 1.44. Scotland’s is less than 1.3.

Britain is not unique – most countries are experiencing fertility decline Some people are trying too hard to create a baby boom,

So what causes fertility decline? There are the high costs of raising children, the pressure to remain employed, and the challenge of finding the right partner.

But there is also evidence that more and more young adults do not plan to have children at all.

BBC News spoke to two women and two men in their thirties – the average age at which people become parents in England and Wales – to get their views on the issue.

Ellie Lambert, who lives in Sheffield, wants to have children but says she has not found a suitable partner.

Two years ago, he spent £18,000 on two bicycles egg freezing“I find it really disappointing, it’s such a high cost for something that may never amount to anything,” she says.

She hopes that if she meets someone, or if she reaches a financial situation where she can “do everything alone” with the help of a sperm donor, she will use them.

Ealy says she’s concerned about the added financial pressure on single-parent families.

A report The Child Poverty Action Group found last year that the average cost of raising a child until the age of 18 was £166,000 for a couple and £220,000 for a lone parent.

Although Ellie thought she would meet someone by her late 20s, “despite being constantly active on all the apps, it just didn’t happen.”

She says dating has become “redundant”, citing the endless options offered by dating apps as the reason why fewer people want to do it.

But going it alone would be “a big decision”, says Ellie, who earns more than £60,000 on a fixed-term contract.

She has already spent her savings on egg freezing, saying it would cost an extra £10,000 to use a sperm donor with IVF.

For London-based sex and relationship podcaster Demi Olonisakin, improvements in fertility treatments – such as egg freezing – are “empowering” and give women “more control than ever before”.

Motherhood is not something to “take lightly,” she says.

“Child care costs are rising, maternity policies are limited, women basically have to think a lot harder,” she says.

She also wants the “support system” of a long-term partner before having children.

But he is in no hurry. “I don’t think I’m in a rush to settle down and have kids because that’s expected,” she says.

Instead she is focusing on her career after growing up in a household that “had nothing”.

“I remember thinking to myself, ‘I would never put any child in this situation,'” she says.

“(My parents) absolutely tried their best, but I always said I wasn’t going to have a baby until I was ready.”

Kari Aaron Clark, a senior research fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering, earns £53,000 but feels she can’t afford to raise a child in London.

His salary when completing his PhD four years ago was £22,000.

His partner Caitlin, currently a PhD student, is under similar financial stress.

This means that despite Kari having an above average salary, she has had less time to save for a property – something she considers necessary before becoming a parent – ​​due to the “relatively insecure” nature of renting.

He also cites the cost of child care. according to a recent reports According to children’s charity Quorum, the average weekly price of a full-time childcare place for children under three in the UK is around £300, compared to around £430 in inner London.

Kari says her views are shared by Caitlyn — and they’re both worried about the effects of this climate crisis,

“I’m really excited about the idea of ​​adopting. This way I’m helping someone who is already struggling in the system,” he says.

“I can adopt the kids once they go through the foster care phase.”

But despite his current pessimism about the feasibility of becoming a biological parent, Kari says he “wouldn’t ignore it”.

All this raises questions about what the future will hold if fewer children are born.

Brianna Perelli-Harris, a professor of demography at the University of Southampton, says the decline in fertility rates is not just about people delaying parenthood, but also about people’s increasing tendency not to have children.

recent data UK Generation and Gender Survey finds that childless adults today have little confidence that they will have children, with a quarter of 18 to 25 year olds saying they probably or definitely will not have a child.

“Gen Z is more likely to remain childless,” she says. “Before, it might have been more taboo – now it’s more accepted.

“And it depends on economic factors like future income, child care costs and employment.”

“In the long run… the population will begin to decline,” says Professor Perrelli-Harris.

“If it reaches 1.3 (children per woman) – it is considered very low and the government should start getting concerned.”

Concerns have been raised before Regarding declining fertility rates in countries where there has been a long-term trend of decline, including the need for more young people to work and pay taxes as caregivers for the growing population.

But the population can continue to grow long after fertility falls below 2.1 children per woman, known as the replacement level – the number of children needed to ensure that the population will replace itself from one generation to the next. Replace it. ONS says,

The situation is similar in Britain and other countries like Spain and Italy, where fertility rates are even lower.

“Immigration can halt or even reverse population decline,” says Professor Perrelli-Harris.

“I do not think we will start to see a decline in the UK population in the near future, although population aging will become more pronounced.”