A childless couple say fertility rates are at an all-time low due to “the cost of child care and rumors being spread on social media”.
Hannah Bird, 25, and her husband Charlie Camper, 25, are DINKS — dual income with no kids — and are focusing on travel instead.
The fertility rate in England and Wales has fallen to the lowest level since records began, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The average total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of children born to a woman – was 1.44 children per woman in 2023, the lowest since records began in 1938.
Hannah, a travel blogger from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, said: “I think more couples are choosing not to have children mainly because of the cost of child care and rumors spread on social media about the work ethic for women. Are choosing to do.
“There is definitely discrimination in the workplace for women who have children and social media makes me think that’s not right. It disappoints me.”
He said: “People are prioritizing [spending on] Experience on things like child care. We want to experience more of life and vacation while we still can.”
Research from the UCL Center for Longitudinal Studies has revealed that unpreparedness and the cost of housing and childcare are among the list of reasons why the Millennial generation is choosing not to have children.
Hannah said: “It’s more affordable to fly and go on holidays and I think people are starting to realize that now.
“An average overnight stay in the UK is the same as going to Italy for a few days, so I think we’re spending our money more wisely.”
The couple has visited 16 countries this year alone, and have six more vacations planned in the next two months.
They make the most of these trips, doing activities like skydiving, skiing and snorkeling and say they are in no rush to have children.
Hannah and Charlie, a professional golfer, have opted not to conceive naturally should they become parents in the future due to having a genetic heart condition caused by a gene mutation.
“We got our first IVF referral after signing up in February,” Hannah said.
She said: “We decided to start the process because now the wait is two to three years.”
According to government figures, women are increasingly having children at older ages, with only one in five women born in 1997 having a child before the age of 25.
In January, the couple visited India, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Brisbane, Japan and Hong Kong for their honeymoon.
He visited India, Australia, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Luxembourg, Spain, Hungary, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in a span of 9 months.
The couple doesn’t plan on stopping in the near future.
“We’re flying to Kenya next week for a safari and then to Zanzibar for six days,” Hannah said.
“People say if you don’t have a child you’re not fulfilling your life.
“I’m very happy sitting on the beach.
“If you don’t want kids – that’s okay. If you do that – it’s okay.”
Countries visited by the couple –
- England
- scotland
- wales
- Italy
- Netherlands
- France
- belgium
- Germany
- slovakia
- Vatican City
- austria
- czech republic
- Greece
- Switzerland
- spain
- iceland
- portugal
- croatia
- turkey
- malta
- usa
- Queue
- united arab emirates
- maldives
- ireland
- finland
- poland
- denmark
- Jordan
- Korea
- India
- Singapore
- kuala lumpur
- Australia
- Japan
- hong kong
- norway
- luxembourg
- Hungary
- egypt
- saudi arabia
