The number of children in London is falling faster than anywhere else in the UK, with expensive housing and childcare costs cited as the reason why.
London is famous for a multitude of reasons: Tower Bridge, the royal family and the West End, to name a few. But a new report warns the city could become childless – a title it wouldn’t be proud of.
The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee has published a new report which looks at the city’s declining child population. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of children aged 0 to nine fell by almost 100,000, despite the fact the overall population grew by more than half a million.
The decline is particularly large in Inner London. Fertility rates in boroughs like Islington (0.99), Westminster (1.0) and Camden (1.05) are well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
Meanwhile, families are also leaving Outer London, with the net outflow more than doubling since 2010.
Committee Chair Hina Bokhari OBE said: ‘The presence of children is one of the strongest indicators of a healthy and well-functioning city. We cannot allow London to become a place where only a small number of families can afford to live.’
The report outlines three main problems, the first one being housing. The average London home costs £556,000 – more than 11 times the median salary, and only 47% of homes have three or more bedrooms, compared with 63% elsewhere.
What’s more, between 2016 and 2025, only 22% of new affordable homes were family-sized.
Another problem is the cost of childcare. Inner London has the highest nursery fees in England – 34% above the national average – while also having the lowest levels of provision for funded places.
Witnesses told the committee that parents face a ‘second mortgage’ to cover childcare costs, and providers are struggling to stay afloat.
The built environment is also a major problem. Despite London Plan policies requiring play space in new developments, the report heard that implementation is patchy, and children’s needs are often ‘baked out’ of new housing.
One parent described how ‘No Ball Games’ signs, which were installed without warning, made her family feel unwelcome.
The falling child population is already hitting schools. Primary pupil numbers have dropped 6.25% since 2018, with nine of the ten English local authorities recording the largest declines being in London.
Since 2018, at least 100 schools have closed or merged and the report warns that falling rolls are pushing more schools into deficit.
The report concludes: ‘London rightly prides itself on being a diverse city. That diversity should cut across all parameters, including age. London ought to be a city where you can thrive from cradle to grave.’
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