Birth rate in peril as half of adults rule out having any children

ALMOST half of UK adults aged between 18 and 50 do not plan on having children, say researchers.

Some 46 per cent of people surveyed by Ipsos said they had decided against being parents or having any more children, citing financial or personal reasons.

Britain’s birth rate has already fallen to 1.61 children per woman, down from 1.94 a decade ago. Experts say this will mean that the population will hit a peak of 71million in the 2040s before it starts to drop, plunging to 57 million by 2100 – a level last seen in 1989.

The declining rate will leave Britain with an ageing population, prompting fears that this will place extra pressure on the NHS and care system and undermine economic growth.

But environmentalists believe a shrinking population will cut carbon emissions and improve quality of life, and that gaps in