Only a quarter of millennials who say they want children are actively trying to get pregnant, research has found.
The rising cost of housing and childcare expenses are among the main reasons why fewer young adults are trying to start a family.
The analysis from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies in London looked at more than 7,000 32-year-olds.
Just over half of them have already become parents while half of those without children said they definitely want to start a family in the future.
But only one in four of those who said they wanted to be parents or have more offspring said they were currently trying. More than a quarter of these said this was due to financial reasons.
Only a quarter of millennials who say they want children are actively trying to get pregnant (stock image)
The analysis from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies in London looked at more than 7,000 32-year-olds (stock image)
Lead author Dr Alina Pelikh said the findings suggest that ‘financial and employment constraints are viewed by many as major challenges and key reasons for postponing parenthood’.
Respondents could choose multiple reasons and most (46 per cent) said not feeling ready was the reason why they hadn’t tried to conceive yet. Just under a quarter (24 per cent) said it was due to not having a suitable partner and just over a fifth (22 per cent) said it was because of their or their partner’s work or study. Just 3 per cent cited environmental concerns.
Women were more likely to report financial concerns and their own work or study than men as reasons for not currently trying to conceive.
The paper said: ‘These findings highlight the significant role that finances and employment play in the decision on when to start trying for a(nother) child.
‘The slightly higher prevalence of these concerns among women may reflect existing evidence that women’s careers often suffer setbacks in income and career progression after childbirth.’
Overall, around a quarter of the more than 7,000 respondents said they were not sure about having more children or becoming parents for the first time.
Women were more likely to report financial concerns and their own work or study than men as reasons for not currently trying to conceive (stock image)
The paper said this could point to ‘a smaller average family size and a higher proportion of individuals without children among this cohort compared to older generations.’
Dr Pelikh said the findings ‘highlight the challenges this generation faces as they weigh up their childbearing plans in their early 30s’.
She added: ‘While those without children may be navigating the complexities of finding a partner and establishing their careers before parenthood, parents are grappling with the realities of balancing existing family and financial responsibilities with the prospect of having more children.
‘While parents will naturally have many reasons for deciding on the timing and spacing of their children, it is likely that current cost-of-living pressures, with rising housing and childcare expenses, are also shaping the environment in which this group is making fertility decisions.’
