A new report by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has pointed to men's immaturity as a key factor in the declining birth rate, with around 600,000 young women potentially missing out on motherhood as a result. The report, titled 'Baby Bust', notes that men are now leaving the family home on average at age 25, compared to previous generations where a 24-year-old man would typically be married with a child and employed.
The blame for falling birth rates has traditionally fallen on women, but the CSJ report shifts focus to men's reluctance to settle down. It suggests that women face 'unplanned childlessness' because prospective male partners are unwilling or unprepared to commit to family life. The UK birth rate dropped to a record low of 1.44 per woman in 2024, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
The report estimates that around 3 million women aged 16 to 45 are now likely to remain childless, compared with 2.4 million in their grandparents' generation. One woman, speaking anonymously, described her own struggle: 'The biggest hurdle wasn't just my fertility falling off a cliff, but that my partner wasn't ready to have kids with me.' She ultimately conceived via IVF in her late thirties after giving an ultimatum.
To address the issue, the CSJ recommends encouraging marriage at a younger age and helping men 'enter adulthood' earlier through internships and apprenticeships. The report claims that nine out of ten young women still hope to have children, but many face grief over unplanned childlessness, which could affect up to 30% of women in the UK.
