Why UK Population Is Set to Fall Faster Than Forecast

A look at why UK population is set to fall quicker than expected. What will be the impact?

0:00 Population Forecasts
0:49 ONS Forecasts Inaccurate
1:51 Reasons for Falling Birth Rates
4:03 Impact of Falling Population
5.55 Benefits Falling Population
7:36 Ageing Population

► Please SUBSCRIBE!



ABOUT
-----------

[jacquelinee]

Wolves are complaining that the sheeps aren't breeding

[BoredomIncarnate]

The system wants more children to keep up the facade of endless growth, but it doesn't want to pay for workers to actually afford them.

[Hawksby]

You can’t have children if you can’t afford somewhere to live, or afford even the basic necessities

[Rae-yvmd]

Can't afford a home, food, bills, no dentist, Doctors or social care. I wonder why the population is falling?

[johnmunro]

The markets have been allowed to decide, and it's decided that it wants maximum profit today over the survival of our society.

[cobbler]

Nobody can afford to have children they can hardly survive without. Wages at the same level as 2006 as prices go though the roof.

[jamessmith]

Economic growth based on never-ending population growth was always unsustainable anyway.

[wardachrouaa]

The problem is that modern life is very ill adapted to family life

[AmazingDuckmeister]

Why have children if there is no future?

[martinthomson]

i honestly hate the UK. I ended up getting a mechanical engineering degree and as it stands will never be able to afford a home. UK is stupidly expensive for young people whilst the older generation own multiple properties and exploit us

[NexusGamingRadical]

I can't afford a home and I'm 25 earning above the london average. Big part of why me and all my friends don't want to be here no more.

[smada]

All through nature animals won't reproduce if they don't feel safe. Many in the UK don't feel safe. They don't see a stable future, a stable home or a reliable environment to raise a child. They feel like they are building on shifting sands and a lack of trust means they create a life with one foot always out the door ready to make an escape. Baggage like a child will just slow that escape.

Also, dating has never been as hard. So many people choosing to stay single, or people that are practically single. Those that are in a relationship for now, but don't really have any intention to making a commitment. They don't want to risk becoming yet another single parent when they have or want to work. Plus, with the amount of hours we spend at work, who has the time, energy, or the inclination to make a child?

I don't think that the UK population will shrink. Immigration will far exceed any shortfall in birth rate. All that will happen is that the indigenous culture will disappear. This has happened many times before in many places all over the world, so the UK is nothing special.

More over, these figure are assuming that our life expectancy stays the same or increase like it has in the past. With what we are doing to ourselves now, poor nutrition, higher stress, higher retirement age, increase in poor mental health, a failing health care system, worse climate, growing crime rates, it wouldn't be surprising to see the average life expectancy start falling once the last of the Boomers are gone. We won't have to worry about an aging population because the average person will die long before they reach retirement.

[hungo]

Soaring living costs prompt youngsters to delay having kids which tanks the fertility rate in the UK. This will deteriorate even further in the near future.

[Gidget-bs]

I'm 34 but I still don't feel ready to start raising a family. I need more time to advance my career, afford a home, and find a suitable partner. I'd rather risk running out of time than do it wrong!

[tancreddehauteville]

Nobody can afford children. That's the reason.

[gordonallen]

With so many people having no savings, no living wage jobs, and little to no chance of upward mobility or a future, why would someone willingly bring a child into this world knowing the drudgery, and hardship he or she will probably face? This isn't just the UK, but most of the EU, as well as parts of Asia, and other parts of the world.

[mrmeldrew]

Done on purpose
Keep kids in education by forcing 50% them into university.
Ensure they start adult life with debt they will never pay off.
Raise house prices so they cannot afford to buy until they are 30+.
Raise the cost of everything.
You can't tell me it's not all done on purpose.

[geofflepper]

Almost every region in India now has a fertility rate below replacement.
Mexico and much of Latin America now have fertility rates below replacement levels.
The fertility rate in Iran dropped from 5.5 to 1.6 in about 37 years which is just one generation in many families.
There are no doubt many Iranian women who were born into a family with five children and who now have only one child of their own.
The fertility rate in Turkey has fallen to 1.51.
About the only places that still have fertility rates above replacement are Afghanistan, Pakistan and Africa but no doubt by the end of the century those places too will have fertility rates below replacement.

This is really a world wide phenomenon.

[lawyer]

When I was born, the population of the U.S. was about 150 million. Believe it or not, life in the 1950s was pretty good if we consider the ability to buy a house, attend a state university, etc. I’m not saying that everything was perfect in the 1950s, but having our population more than double since then has not made our lives better.

[nickk]

Back in the day after an apprenticeship you would be earning good money by the time you are 20, save a deposite for house in 3 years, enjoy your life, buy a house have a wife and family before 27.
Now in school till 18, 4 years uni in debt, work for 2 to 3 years until experience is gained start earning deacent money by 25 or 26 save for deposit for a house for 5 to 10 years get property at 35 everything is fucked