Summary
People in Bristol are having fewer children, with a 36% drop in birth rates over the past ten years. Financial pressures and rising living costs are key reasons many people are reconsidering having children, reflecting a broader trend across the UK where fertility rates have fallen by 21% in the past decade.
Key Facts
- Bristol's birth rate has dropped by 36% in the last ten years.
- The UK's fertility rate, which shows the average number of children per woman, has decreased by 21% in the past decade.
- The current UK fertility rate is 1.44 children per woman, while in Bristol it is even lower at 1.14.
- Economic factors, such as high living costs and expensive housing, are causing people to delay having children.
- Many people in Bristol, including Courtney Young and Aaliyah Thomas, find raising children now financially challenging.
- The average age for first-time mothers in the UK is 31, with women starting families later in life.
- Bristol has a younger average age for its population compared to the rest of the UK (median age of 33 versus 41).
- Some people, like Amy Joce, choose not to have children at all, embracing the decision as a personal choice.
