How childless couples now make up two in 5 families

CHILDLESS couples now account for more than 40 per cent of family households in the UK.

Official figures show that in 2023 there were 19.5million families – a rise of 1.1million in a decade – and that two in five had no children in them.

Married couples or those in civil partnerships account for two-thirds (66 per cent) of families, while couples living together outside marriage or civil partnership made up nearly a fifth (18 per cent).

The figures were released as part of the Office for National Statistics’ annual report on the

‘They simply can’t afford children’

composition of families and households in the UK. It defines a family unit as a married, civilpartnered or cohabiting couple, living with or without children.

Opposite-sex cohabiting couples accounted for 17 per cent of all families, up from 15 per cent a decade earlier.

The ONS said in its report: ‘The increase in opposite-sex cohabiting couple families was attributed to couples without children.’

There were an estimated 19.5million families in the UK last year, and the increase of around 1.1million (6 per cent) since 2013 reflected the general growth in the UK population, which also went up by 6 per cent in the decade from 2012 to 2022, the most recent for which data is available. In UK households, 43 per cent had one or more children in them, and 16 per cent had only adult children living with them.

The figures also revealed a third of young men aged 20 to 34 were living at home with their parents last year. This compared with less than a quarter (22 per cent) of young women.

Together they accounted for 3.6million young people living at home with their parents – 28 per cent of all young people, up from 26 per cent in 2013.

William Roberts-Phelps, senior associate at law firm BDB Pitmans, said: ‘Today’s statistics once again confirm that the traditional married family remains the most prevalent family structure, but it is no longer the default option with many more couples choosing to cohabit.

‘As confirmed by the ONS, there are more adults under 34 living at home with parents than ever before. Couple this with the rising costs of living and it is not a surprise to see marriage rates continuing to slow.

‘Perhaps many younger couples are having to prioritise reaching the housing ladder over the costs of a wedding.’

There were 3.2million lone-parent families in 2023, a 200,000 rise since 2013, with lone fathers making up 15 per cent of the total.

Izzy Walsh, partner at Hall Brown Family Law, said: ‘The decision about whether to start a family is often largely influenced by the cost of doing so.

‘People may want to have children but conclude they simply can’t afford to.

‘Take, for example increased housing costs, which may well seem prohibitive, or childcare costs, particularly where both parents are working.’