‘Childless by Choice’ the New  Norm amongst young UK adults

A comprehensive new survey reveals the changing face of families in the United Kingdom amid recent economic, social, and political turmoil.

The methodology and initial findings from the UK Generations and Gender Survey are being presented today [Friday 19^th January] at a meeting of academics and stakeholders in London. The presentations include two issues confronting adults of UK today, the use of childcare and the decision whether or not to have children.

The survey, which has been conducted in the UK for the first time, was led by researchers at the University of Southampton in cooperation with the international Generations and Gender Programme. The team collected data on marriages, partnerships, and fertility histories from a representative sample of 7,000 people aged 18-59 in the UK. They asked respondents about their family, economic and housing situation, inter-generational relationships, as well as attitudes on issues like the environment and Brexit.

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Birth rates have been falling for the past decade in the UK, especially among young adults. Researchers who wanted to see if the decision not to have children was associated with concern for the environment found after the survey that:

• 15 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 said they are definitely not intending to have a child. That compares with between 10 and 15% of people who were the same age between 2005 and 2007. A further 11% said they are probably not intending to have a child, while 22 per cent said they were unsure. Those more likely to intend to have a child are also more worried about climate change.
• Less than half of younger those between 25 and 34 years old said they definitely or probably intend to have a child.
• Among childless older adults, 35 to 41 years old, around a third say they will definitely not have a child, with a further 20% saying they probably will not.

Professor Brienna Perelli-Harris from the University of Southampton who led the UK Generations and Gender Survey says that whilst environmental concerns were found to be a factor for older millennials intending to remain childless, their study suggests this is not the case for Gen Z.

This may be because some younger people do not intend to have children for other reasons, or it could be that those who would like to have children are more worried about the planet that their children will inherit”

Researchers also explored one of the challenges facing those who do have children, to be high childcare costs. Finding affordable childcare is a challenge for many families and pressures such as the shortage of childcare workers, the cost-of-living crisis, and closure of childcare settings due to the pandemic have made things more difficult. The survey found that :

• Lower-income households spend 20 to 30 % of their income on childcare compared to higher-income groups (around 10%).
• Parents who pay for childcare spend an average of £560 a month for all children in the household while a quarter paid over £800 and 15% paid over £1,000.
• Nearly two-thirds of parents with children aged 0-5 used some form of childcare.

• A fifth of parents used only formal childcare, like nurseries or childminders. Higher-income families were most likely to do this.
• A quarter of parents exclusively relied on help from parents, relatives or friends.
• A fifth used a mixture of formal and informal childcare – middle-income families often relied on this kind of arrangement.
• A third of parents did not use any childcare at all. Those on lowest incomes are the least likely to use any type of childcare, especially paid-for.
• These are the first discoveries from the UK Generations and Gender Survey. Further insights from this comprehensive online survey will be revealed when the full results are published and researchers have had the opportunity to study the details.
• The survey took place between 2022 and 2023 and is similar to surveys in 20 other nations around the world. As the results from the Generations and Gender Programme become available, researchers will be able to compare the United Kingdom results with other countries.
• The UK Generations and Gender Survey is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and run by the University of Southampton, with the National Centre for Social Research. It is led by Centre for Population Change members Professor Brienna Perelli-Harris, Professor Ann Berrington, and Dr Olga Maslovskaya, with Dr Bernice Kuang and Dr Grace Chang.