If having #children is a belief in the future then ONS data showing the slow decline in 'total fertility' in #England & #Wales has now dropped to 1.49 children... well below the 2.1 replacement rate, is notable!.

Apart from economic issues (future #workforce etc.), this suggests two things:

the costs of having children is becoming prohibitive (from #childcare to #housing costs), and;

looking at their precarious lives prospective parents are deciding no to inflict this on the as yet unborn!