 Some people who wish to have children delay because of the cost |
One in five UK couples are choosing not to have children because of the cost of raising a family, a report says. The average number of children per household has fallen from 2.4 to 1.3, a Skipton Building Society survey of 2,500 adults found.
One in five couples that had children said they could not afford more.
A building society spokeswoman said the figures sent "a strong message about modern life and the pressures it brings - particularly financially".
Some couples were also delaying having children because of their financial situation.
Jennifer Holloway, head of media relations, said: "There are a lot of factors contributing to this, including consumer debt, pension shortfalls and rising house prices, all of which has led many people to choose to enjoy the lifestyle they have instead of adding more pressure with the cost of bringing up a child.
"What's particularly unfortunate though, is the number of people who wish to have a family but are being forced to delay doing so for purely monetary reasons."
Official statistics for England and Wales published in December showed the rate of pregnancies for women in their 30s had overtaken that for younger women for the first time.
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Not only will I have to delay having a family, I shall probably not have one at all - a decision entirely dependent on finances 
