Housing costs climb while birth rates decline

Gentrification and skyrocketing housing costs have been blamed for causing a decline in birth rates in London. Anna Minton, writing in The Guardian, notes a study by the Affordable Housing Commission which found that 13% of British adults under 45 have delayed or chosen not to start a family because of their housing situation. The trend for families to leave London is also pushing up house prices in areas such as Bristol, Brighton, and seaside towns along the south coast including Hastings, Eastbourne and Deal. Minton cites London residents who say the "ecosystem of the city" is getting emptier and emptier, with schools, GP surgeries, and small businesses all closing. 

The Guardian (26/05/2025)