The ‘childfree’ epidemic in the UK

Image - Pixabay

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Just after World War 2, the UK hit its peak birth rate- at 21.2 live births per 1000 people in 1947. However, today, the UK’s birth rate has dwindled to just 10.1 in 2021. This figure has clearly halved since the late 1940s - and a lot else has changed since then, too. A childfree ‘epidemic’ has taken charge across the UK: could this be a problem for our government?

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Since 1947, there has been an array of legal changes in women’s career and life opportunities. Society has moved past women having the sole purpose of birthing an heir and cleaning the house. The Equal Pay Act of 1970 meant women wouldn’t feel as undervalued in work, and have more incentive to seek it. More women seeking careers is the first domino in the line, which causes more women to pursue higher education and then this affects the big question: to have children or not to have children? Many women nowadays delay having children to focus on climbing the career ladder, and some even see children as bringing them down the rungs. Moreover, shifts in attitude towards women in careers can topple another domino: financial dependence. In the ‘man as breadwinner’ days, women didn't really have economic freedom like women can experience today. No financial reliance on a husband means it isn't a catastrophe if a woman never weds or has children. Simply put, women have more autonomy now to choose their life’s course and their spending - and are freer to choose whether to have children because of this.

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Some chalk the decline in birth rate up to the cost of living crisis - which will have a significant effect on families. Dependents are almost ‘economic liabilities’ in this current financial climate. Skyrocketing house prices and increasing food expenses may act as deterrents for aspiring families. But not all the data backs this up. In 1947, the average house price was also heightened as compared to pre-war prices, at around £1820. However, the average weekly earnings were £4.87, making houses 7 times the average yearly income. Surprisingly, as of November 2025, the average house price hit £272,000, whilst median annual wages are around £39,039 - meaning the average house price is still around 7 times the yearly annual income. Clearly, the choice to delay having children, or never have them at all, isn’t just financial.

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Secularisation can have a huge impact on birth rates, with around 38% not identifying as religious in the UK now. This is a huge jump from 9% in 1947. This process of secularisation across Britain means there is less focus on traditional expectations of childbearing and marriage. It isn’t heavily criticised anymore to simply live with your unmarried partner and individuals aren’t scorned for being married and not having children, so people can feel more comfortable and confident in their decisions around having children.

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Choices around childbearing aren’t solely based on society’s perceptions of the possible parents. It also comes down to how the individual sees society. Imagine a world where absolute poverty is rife, where there could be more plastic than fish in the seas in 25 years time ,  and where artificial intelligence is consuming mass amounts of electricity and water. Sound familiar? It’s no surprise that could-be parents see this environmental and social injustice and think “No thanks!” to raising children in this climate. This lack of interest in having children due to instability will play a role in the slow but sure decline in birth rate.

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Birth rate dips can cause some problems for the government. Whilst less people are being born, more people are living longer - creating an ageing population. Government spending on state pensions is predicted to rise from £110 billion in 2022-23, to £153 billion in 2027-28. Rising state pension expenditure can lead to changes in how the rest of the public spending budget is structured - more money being eaten up on pensions means the government’s wallet could be empty when it comes to things like the NHS or education. Serious knock-on effects can be triggered by this, such as underfunded education and even longer NHS waiting lines for the few children that are being born. Nobody wants that ‘pension timebomb’ to explode, but if new generations are shrinking in size, it looks like there’ll be a detonation.

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Decisions about being a parent and what that’ll look like has never really been easy. But in a time where you aren't shunned for being childfree, you can aim for a career freely, and there are deterring factors in the form of extreme weather events and political instability, some people may think it isn't really a choice at all.