'It's not a nice world to bring children into': Births fall to the lowest level in 50 years

Live births in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level in nearly 50 years, with 585,000 births in 2025, continuing a decline that began in 2010. Women are having fewer children on average (1.4 per woman in 2025 versus 1.9 in 2010) and delaying motherhood, with the average age of first-time mothers now 29.6 years old. People cite reasons including global uncertainty, concerns about the state of the world, and greater freedom to pursue other life choices as factors contributing to lower birth rates.