Careers and money given as reasons why women are cutting down on family size - the average age of becoming a mum is rising too
Women are having fewer children than they originally hoped for, while the average age of a new mum continues to rise, according to a new study, reports the Telegraph.
While women studied between 1991 and 2007 hoped to have around 2 children each, the statistics from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for Population Change at the University of Southampton showed that only a fraction of the women interviewed actually became mums.
Researchers also discovered that the average childbearing age of pregnant women now stands at 29.3 years, the oldest since records began in 1938.
Scientists that this gap is due to the number of women concentrating on their careers, and the increase in the cost of having a child, with many unable to afford a large family or find the right partner.
Are you surprised by this new research? Especially when the number of babies being born is still increasing? We’d love to know your thoughts…
