The British don’t have a simple reason for children – they just can’t afford it
Nearly half of British adults postponed or decided not to have children, and money was most important, a new poll showed.
A survey of 18 to 50 years old from pollsters, specifically with independentindicating that 44% of adults plan to delay having children, or decide to raise children altogether – the cost of raising children, including food, clothing, and education, is considered the most common cause (39%).
One-third of parents expectant parents said they were delayed by the UK’s parenting costs despite the government’s launch of extended free nurseries.
While one-third of respondents said they don’t have children because they don’t want to have children at all, others say their fear of climate change has disturbed them because of concerns about how global warming will affect the future of children and how having children can harm the environment.
The poll is because the birth rate in England and Wales is at the lowest recorded rate and the death toll is expected to exceed births in the UK from 2030.
Michael Farmer, a voice proponent of family stability, criticized the systemic problem of low birth rates and believed parents needed more financial support.
“The UK’s tax system discourages childbirth; it’s one of the most unfriendly families in the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]. There are no allowances for family members, so our tax system is also at a disadvantage for single parents. Current levels of marriage allowance have made people less recognised for low-income or non-money-making second parents. ” he said during a House of Lords debate in November.
In 2023, there will be more deaths than those born in the UK. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (ONS) forecast, the gap is expected to widen only between 2030 and 2050. This means that most population growth is driven by immigration rather than birth.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told independent In June, a sharp drop in birth rates in the UK was a “huge challenge” that needs to be addressed.
She added: “I heard from a lot of people that the choices they want to make are limited because when to start a family and how many children they have, such as child care costs, housing costs, unstable factors at work.”
Since 2010, fertility rates in the UK have shrunk by 25% faster than any other G7. However, women have more children on average than those in Japan, Italy and Canada.
Despite progress in flexible work and parental leave, some parents conducted surveys that they believe it is harder to raise children now than previous generations, and the rise in living costs and housing prices exceeds their salaries.
Most adults (56%) believe it is harder to become a parent in the UK today than 20 years ago, while 61% of women say it is difficult to raise children now compared to men (52%).
Even the older generation agreed that among young people aged 55 to 75, the most likely to believe (59%) of parenthood is more difficult than twenty years ago.
The decline in birth rates has caused a lot of discussion among politicians.
Recently, Nigel Farage promised that if reforms come to power, he would abolish the two-son welfare cap, part of the “180-degree shift” to reverse the low birth rate.
However, according to IPSOS polls, his position has not yet fully won the public, and they trust labor more than any other party to support parents and families.
Although Sir Keir Starmer refused to lift the cap on benefits for two children, he promised to reduce child poverty, which triggered a public rebellion among the workforce MPs, which was rejected by Sir Keir Starmer to remove the cap on benefits for two children.
At the same time, the Conservatives trust less in supporting families compared to reform and labor. Kemi Badenoch, the current leader of the party, had previously said she believed that maternal salaries were “overwhelming” and that “welfare families should make equally responsible decisions about giving birth as everyone else”.
But more than one in five people say they don’t trust any major political party to support families through their policies.
According to 42% of IPSOS respondents, policy changes in response to affordable housing are the most popular policy changes.
According to Rightmove, rent costs in the UK are now reaching new record highs, with an average rent required to be £1,365 per month. At the same time, fewer young people buy houses because house prices far exceed wage growth.
More than one-third of adults also believe that making parenting more affordable for parents with preschoolers will inspire more people to have children.
The government has given 15 hours of free parenting to children aged 9 months to two, starting in September, which will be extended to 30 hours of child care per week.
However, the latest calculations from the Institute of Finance and Research show independent It shows that absorption may be 25% higher than expected and that as the number of parenting venues has hardly increased in recent years, it will be a struggle for many.
There is no doubt that increasing access to free nurseries will be a welcome move, as the average cost of full-time child care is between 37% and 43% of the average UK income.
