[Other Sport] Fertility rates fall to record low

[BrightonCottager]

BBC News - Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new low - BBC News

Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new low

Just over 591,000 babies were born in the UK last year - the lowest number in four decades

www.bbc.co.uk

Come on you virile youngsters, put your phones down and get jiggy.

 

[METALMICKY]

Which I guess is why I've notice an increase in the number of twins going around?

 

[Mustafa II]

BBC News - Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new low - BBC News

Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new low

Just over 591,000 babies were born in the UK last year - the lowest number in four decades

www.bbc.co.uk

Come on you virile youngsters, put your phones down and get jiggy.

Don't think the boomers get it, do they.

Average first time buyer age is 34 now... and that's more likely to be a flat unsuitable for raising a family.

Then there's the cost of child care - the options are either the prospective mum leaving her job, or lose half your salary on child care.

Young people just can't afford kids... and it's a very concerning issue.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I know a lot of youngsters who shouldn't breed.....anyone seen Idiocracy?

 

[BS34 Seagull]

In addition to helping young people buy/rent affordable housing, the Government needs to modify the tax system to encourage young people to have kids. In Hungary, monthly taxable income is reduced for each additional child. After four or more children the mother is completely exempt from income taxes.

 

[beorhthelm]

Don't think the boomers get it, do they.

Average first time buyer age is 34 now... and that's more likely to be a flat unsuitable for raising a family.

Then there's the cost of child care - the options are either the prospective mum leaving her job, or lose half your salary on child care.

Young people just can't afford kids... and it's a very concerning issue.

fell lower in Scotland, where those issues are less prominant. so maybe there's more to it than simple cost? there's similar numbers across rest of Europe, couple years out of date but the trend is the same.

Fertility statistics - Statistics Explained

EU statistics provide an overview of fertility evolution: decline in the mid-1960s, followed by a rise in the early 2000s and another decline in 2013 followed by a slight increase up to 2016 and another decrease until 2020.

ec.europa.eu

 

[Mustafa II]

fell lower in Scotland, where those issues are less prominant. so maybe there's more to it than simple cost? there's similar numbers across rest of Europe, couple years out of date but the trend is the same.

Fertility statistics - Statistics Explained

EU statistics provide an overview of fertility evolution: decline in the mid-1960s, followed by a rise in the early 2000s and another decline in 2013 followed by a slight increase up to 2016 and another decrease until 2020.

ec.europa.eu

Average first time buyer in Scotland is 33. Child care costs in Scotland average £270 a week. Average salary lower.

The financial issues that young people face in England are also seen in Scotland, Europe and much of the Western world.

 

[HCxUK]

Don't think the boomers get it, do they.

Average first time buyer age is 34 now... and that's more likely to be a flat unsuitable for raising a family.

Then there's the cost of child care - the options are either the prospective mum leaving her job, or lose half your salary on child care.

Young people just can't afford kids... and it's a very concerning issue.

It's pretty much this, with a bit of worry re: impending climate disaster and war thrown in for good measure

 

[jcdenton08]

Dave Attenborough will be happy at least

 

[Cotton Socks]

Lockdown may have played a part. No one could meet someone new through that time & those that were already in a relationship, starting a family at that time of massive uncertainty would have seemed like madness. Plus couples were probably sick of the sight of each other after spending months with them 24/7. There's too much uncertainty in the world at the moment to feel comfortable making such a huge decision.

 

[Zeberdi]

I happen to think a drop in population numbers is a good thing - how any one thinks the World can sustain over 8 billion people in the world when water and natural resources are running low I don’t know.

Wars, Natural disasters, disease and famine are population suppressors unfortunately not at all pleasant and disproportionately impacting populations in low income, poorly developed regions than affluent populations.

People shouldn’t be encouraged to have kids, they should certainly feel free to have them though - they should however be encouraged to adopt. With 154 million orphans in the world, there should be plenty to chose from.

 

[Mustafa II]

I happen to think a drop in population numbers is a good thing - how any one thinks the World can sustain over 8 billion people in the world when water and natural resources are running low I don’t know.

No country can allow its population to decrease. Population growth is required for economic growth, as a population ages and no longer contributes to the economy, while requiring care. The tax can only from the working young.

The only solution, if young people are not reproducing, is mass immigration... which typically doesn't go down too well.

 

[Hiheidi]

I happen to think a drop in population numbers is a good thing - how any one thinks the World can sustain over 8 billion people in the world when water and natural resources are running low I don’t know.

I agree. It's the elephant in the room when we talk about saving the environment. More people = more resources/waste.

 

[ozzygull]

I think it is partly down to a affordability and the way things move on. Lots of women don't want kids now, after all it is their body that has to go through all the changes and they are the ones that have to give up everything that they like to do. I don't blame them.

I remember listening to Radio 2 when it was discussing the cost of child care and some old twat called in and said "if you can't afford to have children you should not have them" Sounds like people listened to him.

 

[sussexbee]

Maternity care is also so devastatingly hit and miss in this country that people are coming away from 1 birth swearing never again. Physically, emotionally and mentally broken from the experience.

I don't know anyone who has given birth in the last 5 years who doesn't have birth trauma or serious ongoing medical issues. They love their children, but are not prepared to do it again.

 

[Chicken Run]

I happen to think a drop in population numbers is a good thing - how any one thinks the World can sustain over 8 billion people in the world when water and natural resources are running low I don’t know.

Wars, Natural disasters, disease and famine are population suppressors unfortunately not at all pleasant and disproportionately impacting populations in low income, poorly developed regions than affluent populations.

People shouldn’t be encouraged to have kids, they should certainly feel free to have them though - they should however be encouraged to adopt. With 154 million orphans in the world, there should be plenty to chose from.

Tax breaks for people having one child less for two and so on

 

[Chicken Run]

BBC News - Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new low - BBC News

Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new low

Just over 591,000 babies were born in the UK last year - the lowest number in four decades

www.bbc.co.uk

Come on you virile youngsters, put your phones down and get jiggy.

I wonder if the high divorce/separation rate over the last 35 years has affected many of today’s young people in their 20’s who grew up with separate Mum and Dad ?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

In addition to helping young people buy/rent affordable housing, the Government needs to modify the tax system to encourage young people to have kids. In Hungary, monthly taxable income is reduced for each additional child. After four or more children the mother is completely exempt from income taxes.

Hungary, you say?

I can think of one or two things that tax breaks could be used for assistance. Breeding isn't one of them.

Aside from anything else, we have a housing shortage. I presume you want taxes to be increased in order to subsidise some sort of communist house building scheme to accommodate all the new babies we will be bribing people to pop out.

It's a 'no' from me.

 

[Curious Orange]

Don't think the boomers get it, do they.

Average first time buyer age is 34 now... and that's more likely to be a flat unsuitable for raising a family.

Then there's the cost of child care - the options are either the prospective mum leaving her job, or lose half your salary on child care.

Young people just can't afford kids... and it's a very concerning issue.

When Junior and Littlest Orange were both at nursery the fees were more than our mortgage. We were quite relieved when first one, then both of them started school!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I think it is partly down to a affordability and the way things move on. Lots of women don't want kids now, after all it is their body that has to go through all the changes and they are the ones that have to give up everything that they like to do. I don't blame them.

I remember listening to Radio 2 when it was discussing the cost of child care and some old twat called in and said "if you can't afford to have children you should not have them" Sounds like people listened to him.

It is a classic phenomenon of increased wealth. Regardless of all the stuff we hear about poverty, a majority live lives now with opportunity undreamt of during the 1960s or 70s. The one glaring exception is home ownership for first time buyers. That aside.... we have never had it so good.

And when people become wealthy and have leisure time and leisure activities they stop breeding.

The converse is true. Discussed on NSC ad nauseam. In the early 20th century white (which was everyone) working class couples had loads of kids. My granny was one of ten. Peasants all over the world breed like flies. The middle classes, with wealth and leisure, largely don't. Unless they are on a mission (like Boris the Liar, and his weird 19th century chum, Moggy).