Pelikh, Alina;
Goisis, Alice;
(2024)
Fertility intentions and postponed parenthood : Initial findings from Next Steps at Age 32.
(Briefing Papers
).
UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies: London, UK.
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Abstract
The age at first birth in the UK has steadily increased over time. Among women born in the early 1990s, 44% have had one or more children before the age of 30, compared with 58% of their mothers’ generation (born in mid-1960s) and 81% of their grandmothers’ generation (born in late 1930s)i . While some individuals might prefer not to have children, others may be uncertain about their childbearing plans, or have reasons for putting them off. Against the backdrop of persistently low fertility rates in England and Wales (1.49 children per woman in 2022ii), understanding people’s ‘fertility intentions’ – their desire to have or not have children – can shed light on potential barriers that might force individuals to postpone or forego having children. This briefing investigates fertility intentions among 32-year-olds taking part in Next Steps, a nationally representative cohort study following the lives of around 16,000 people in England who were born in 1989-90. It focuses on the reasons why people who do want to have children (or more children) might postpone doing so, within a challenging social and economic context. Higher inflation, the rising cost-of-living and housing prices might strain current and potential parents financially. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered working styles and patterns, with increased remote work and flexible arrangements becoming more common. These changes may influence how individuals balance career and family planning decisions. Additionally, ongoing debates about parental leave policies, childcare costs, and work-life balance are shaping the environment in which this generation is making fertility decisions. The analysis was conducted on an analytical sample of 7,279 Next Steps respondents, of whom 2,045 reported that they wanted to have children (or more children) but were not currently trying, and their reasons for postponing parenthood
| Type: | Report |
|---|---|
| Title: | Fertility intentions and postponed parenthood : Initial findings from Next Steps at Age 32 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | https://cls.ucl.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/F... |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | fertility intentions, parenthood, Millennials |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10198568 |
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