In Britain, childlessness seems likely to return to 1920s levels
That will strain the care system, and perhaps change the culture
ANYBODY MULLING a career as a midwife or nursery manager might want to reconsider. On October 14th the Office for National Statistics reported that in 2020 the fertility rate in England and Wales, which is expressed as the number of children per woman, fell to 1.58, the lowest since records began in 1938. Babies are particularly scarce in inner London. Just 5,442 were born in the borough of Newham last year, down from 6,426 in 2012. And almost all were conceived before covid-19 made the prospect of going into hospital unappealing. The tally for 2021 may well be lower.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Spinster nation”
Britain October 16th 2021
- Academic freedom in British universities is under threat
- British defence strategy is undergoing a naval tilt
- The Northern Ireland protocol is up for discussion. Again
- Why Stormont has dithered endlessly on corporation tax
- In Britain, childlessness seems likely to return to 1920s levels
- Mark Drakeford wants to shake up Welsh politics
From the October 16th 2021 edition
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