The baby bust: how Britain’s falling birthrate is creating alarm in the economy

Costs, the climate crisis and choice are all factors in a demographic revolution presenting huge challenges for government

The falling birthrate threatens a disaster so costly no politician dares think about it

Having children has become an unaffordable luxury for many of her generation, says Vanessa, a 35-year-old project manager living in Brighton.

My friends who managed to start a family, without exception, all received large sums of money from their parents to get on the property ladder. For those of us not fortunate enough, we are trapped in the rental market, largely with insecure, poorly paid employment."