Event

The great British baby bust

This event hosted by UK think tank the Resolution Foundation discusses the UK’s falling birth rate and whether we can do anything about it.

All developed countries are grappling with a falling birth rate, and the UK is no different. While the UK’s birth rate has often fluctuated, it has fallen sharply since 2012, and a rebound anytime soon looks unlikely. There are cultural and economic drivers behind the recent shortfall; and the implications will be both immediate and pose challenges well into the future.

Is the UK’s declining birth rate worth worrying about in the first place? What explains the recent trend of falling birth rates? Should policymakers be acting on this, and if so, what could be done?

The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and discuss these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its latest research on the significant implications of Britain’s plunging birth rate, we will hear from leading experts on why it matters, how, and if, policymakers should respond, and what we can learn from across the globe.

The event will be open for people to physically attend, alongside being broadcast via YouTube and the Resolution Foundation website. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event via Slido.

Speakers

Ann Berrington – Professor of Demography & Social Statistics at the University of Southampton

Phoebe Arslanagić-Little – Head of Social Policy at Onward & Co-Director of Boom

Eir Nolsøe – Economics correspondent at The Telegraph

Charlie McCurdy – Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation

Lord David Willetts – President of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)