Motherhood and Fertility: A research study

According to the Office of National Statistics, birth rates are falling to the second lowest they have ever been since records began (1.61 children per woman). The same report shows over 50% of women born in 1990 had not had children by 30 – compared to 18% of the same cohort in 1971, while the United Nations estimate the average childbearing age in the UK is set to rise to 31.5 years old by 2042.

With help from leading research company GfK, IVI commissioned a nationwide survey of women aged 25 – 45 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland focusing on perceptions of motherhood and attitudes towards family planning.

We want to use these findings to illustrate the many different perspectives, concerns and motivations women have in 2022 towards this important topic, so that we know how to best support them, now and in the future.