The UK has a fertility crisis – here's how we solve it
In The Big Issue, Professor Geeta Nargund continues to bring attention to the nation's fertility crisis. She highlights new research from Ipsos, which found that:
"Nearly half of adults, aged 18-50, say they are putting off or deciding against having children; financial worries are the main factor, principally the cost of raising children, including food, clothing and education. Nearly one in three cite the cost of childcare, nearly one in five are concerned about the cost of adapting their current home or moving house."
Professor Nargund writes that we must address the underlying causes, the social-determinants of our fertility crisis, if we hope to reverse our rapidly declining birth rate.
"I use the term “political infertility” to describe policy decisions that create socio-economic conditions which deter women and couples from starting a family." Solving the fertility crisis requires "a collaborative approach, involving every arm of government and employers too."
Her article concentrates on three key policy areas for encouraging more people to have children:
1️⃣ Making housing affordable (which was also the most popular policy in the Ipsos poll)
2️⃣ Making childcare available and parental leave more generous
3️⃣ Introducing a national IVF tariff and end the postcode lottery (combined with introducing fertility education in secondary schools).
"The long-term impact of a declining population will be profound. PwC’s consulting arm, Strategy&, forecasts that ageing populations and falling birth rates will reduce UK GDP by £429 billion by the end of the century."
Read her full piece here: