UK's fertility rate falling faster than any other G7 nation - with austerity thought to be 'principal factor'
As the UK's fertility rate drops, concerns are rising about the economic impact it will have on the population, with more pensioners than working-age people in the future.
The average number of children women have in the UK is falling faster than any other G7 country since 2010, Sky News commissioned analysis has found.
Research by thinktank the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP) has discovered that the figure, which is called the fertility rate, has dropped by 18.8%.
That number represents the biggest proportion fall across the G7 in 12 years, between 2010 and the latest statistics released in 2022.
According to CPP analysis, Italy saw the second-largest fall, followed by the United States, Canada, France and then Japan, while Germany saw a rise.
Ben Franklin, interim CEO for the CPP, said they believe "austerity and the austerity drive" across the country was "the principal factor" in driving down fertility rates during that period.
