Oxfordshire mother on childcare costs, as UK birth rate drops
Research shows fertility rates are at the lowest level in England since records began
Last updated 29th Oct 2024
A mother from Oxfordshire says the soaring cost of childcare is a factor ‘we need to take into account’ when thinking about having another baby, as research shows birth rates are at the lowest level.
According to research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime - was 1.44 children per woman in 2023 which is the lowest value since records began in 1938.
‘It’s worth it but definitely expensive’
Juliette Raggette is a mother from Thame, she said: “Childcare cost is definitely something that we need to take into account regarding having more children. We definitely wouldn’t be able to have another one before our 1-year-old starts school because we couldn’t afford to put them both into nursery at the same time unfortunately.
“Although, we’re lucky to be in a position where it won’t stop us having more altogether, it’s definitely something that affects our timing which is a shame.
“We would need to cut back in some areas, and I guess having one child means you’ve already got a highchair and a pram. But then you need to look at meals and days out because everything is going to cost double.
“So, it’s worth it but definitely expensive.”
A look into the data:
The research from the ONS shows the South East Region has seen the third biggest drop in the overall total fertility rate by 0.06 from the previous year.
Nationally, the average age of mothers remained stable at 30.9, while fathers' average age increased slightly from 33.7 in 2022 to 33.8 last year.
In 2023, the number of live births (591,072) in England and Wales fell to the lowest since 1977 when there were 569,259.
The data, which also covers stillbirth rates, said those fell in Wales from a rate of 4.4 per 1,000 births in 2022 to 4.0, and stayed the same in England at 3.9 stillbirths per 1,000 births.
Stillbirth rates decreased in the black, mixed or multiple, and white ethnic groups for England and Wales compared with 2022, but rates rose in the Asian and "any other" ethnic groups, the ONS said.
Stillbirth rates overall remain higher for Asian, black, and "any other" ethnic groups than the England and Wales overall rate, the statistics body added.