Half of British women reach age 30 without having a child

[Anonymous]

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/27/women-child-free-30-ons

More than half (50.1%) of women in England and Wales born in 1990 were without a child when they turned 30 in 2020, the first generation to do so, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
That is almost three times higher than the lowest number of women ever to be child-free at 30 – 17.9% of those born in 1941.
At the same time the average number of children women have by the time they reach 30 has fallen to its lowest-ever level (0.96).

[Anonymous]

Judging based on my family, friends and acquaintances, I feel it's the case for every developed country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/27/women-child-free-30-ons

More than half (50.1%) of women in England and Wales born in 1990 were without a child when they turned 30 in 2020, the first generation to do so, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
That is almost three times higher than the lowest number of women ever to be child-free at 30 – 17.9% of those born in 1941.
At the same time the average number of children women have by the time they reach 30 has fallen to its lowest-ever level (0.96).

Not surprising. I’m American, and many of the younger women in my office are single and childless. In fact, lots of the older ones are, too.

Maybe it’s the SATC effect? Throw yourself into your career and live your best life in the city.

Plenty of studies point to younger generations as being less sexually active, right?

Plus: money. Families are $$$$$.

Lastly: social media has enabled many people to become introverts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Judging based on my family, friends and acquaintances, I feel it's the case for every developed country.

Except Israel

Jewish people are way more forward thinking and optimistic about the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging based on my family, friends and acquaintances, I feel it's the case for every developed country.

Except Israel

Jewish people are way more forward thinking and optimistic about the future.

Well, there the high tfr is mainly driven by the ultra-orthodox. Secular Jews don’t have a very high birth rate.

[Anonymous]

Is there an SES break out of this data?

[Anonymous]

It is a continuation of a long trend.

More education, more urbanization, more income (and therefore higher opportunity cost of having kids) = fewer children.

[Anonymous]

Children are hugely expensive, and men don’t want to settle down with a family until their late 30s. Can’t see how anyone is surprised by this

[Anonymous]

In my parents generation, middle class people didn't want to marry or have kids until they were financial stable and on their way. They would get a good job, then marry and buy a starter house/apartment they could afford where they would want to raise a family, then start to have kids.

Today, many people are not financial stable like that until their 30s.

[Anonymous]

Fewer children is different than no children.

It’s risky to believe you can get pregnant once you are AMA (35+). Sure, it happens…but not for everyone.

[Anonymous]

When I had my first child, 12 years ago at 26, I was the youngest mom by far (at least 4 years) in my new circle of “mom friends”. My husband was 30 and also the first or second of his friend group to have kids. It didn’t affect me as I have friends of many ages and I was ready to be a parent, but I’ve gotten many comments on my age and how young I was when I became a mom. Only when I had my third (and last) at age 31 was I considered by others to be the “right” age for having a kid.
Many of my friends from growing up had children about 5-10 years after I did. Some are still childless (though most are married or in committed relationships).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I had my first child, 12 years ago at 26, I was the youngest mom by far (at least 4 years) in my new circle of “mom friends”. My husband was 30 and also the first or second of his friend group to have kids. It didn’t affect me as I have friends of many ages and I was ready to be a parent, but I’ve gotten many comments on my age and how young I was when I became a mom. Only when I had my third (and last) at age 31 was I considered by others to be the “right” age for having a kid.
Many of my friends from growing up had children about 5-10 years after I did. Some are still childless (though most are married or in committed relationships).

Oh, and I’m in an urban area, dh and I are both professionals with advanced degrees, and we are now uc, we were umc when we first had kids.

[Anonymous]

A lot of expectations for young women make motherhood extremely impractical. You can't tell young women they need to be independent, well-educated, have a career, physcially fit, and highly social, and then expect them to have kids in their 20s. Just... how?

Also, you see such broad criticism of young mothers in the UK and the US, that they are irresponsible or insufficient. There's huge stigma, and not just for high SES women.

[Anonymous]

Being a mother is literally THE most important job any woman can do. What other occupation contributes more to humanity than sustaining our species?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/27/women-child-free-30-ons

More than half (50.1%) of women in England and Wales born in 1990 were without a child when they turned 30 in 2020, the first generation to do so, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
That is almost three times higher than the lowest number of women ever to be child-free at 30 – 17.9% of those born in 1941.
At the same time the average number of children women have by the time they reach 30 has fallen to its lowest-ever level (0.96).

Not surprising. I’m American, and many of the younger women in my office are single and childless. In fact, lots of the older ones are, too.

Maybe it’s the SATC effect? Throw yourself into your career and live your best life in the city.

Plenty of studies point to younger generations as being less sexually active, right?

Plus: money. Families are $$$$$.

Lastly: social media has enabled many people to become introverts.

I’ll say another honest truth

At least 50 percent of men and women are un-f able.

I don’t have that high of standards but open your grandparent’s hs and college yearbook from the 40s or 50s or 60s

The vast majority of seniors and college students in those pictures are presentable! Men and women. No one looks like a supermodel but no one looks horrid.

In 2022….no. It’s like we are seeing the human species diverge in real time. The top 20% are hotter than ever and the bottom 80%…well the less said the better.