The UK city with the highest falling birth rate as locals blame 2 things

Bristol boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the UK and a rapidly growing population, however, it has the highest falling birth rate in England and Wales. Bristol has an impressive £15billion economy and boasts a rich maritime history but the city is grappling with a severe fertility drop.

Babies born in the South West city have slumped by a third in a decade, reflecting a national trend which has seen birthrates crash by 21% over the past 10 years. The average number of children each woman has over her lifetime - which theOffice for National Statistics calls the "total fertility rate" - fell in 2023 to 1.44 in England and Wales, the lowest since records began in 1938.

Despite Bristol seeing population surge by 10% during 2013 - 2023 the fertility rate during this time slumped by 36% to 1.14 child per woman. Only 21 per cent of Bristol households have four or more people.

Cost of living and climate change are cited as two of the main reasons that are putting people off from having children.

Bristolian Courtney Young, 32, told the BBC: "It's always been a goal of mine to have kids in the future.

"But one of our biggest concerns is finances - whether we'll have the time and resources to raise kids the way we want to."

The average house price in Bristol was £360,000 in April 2025, a 6.4% increase compared to April 2024.

Meanwhile first-time buyers paid an average of £321,000 in April 2025, 6.6% higher than the previous year.

Filmmaker Maxine Trump says: "Younger people at the childbearing age are making really considered decisions.

"The house prices are really going through the roof in Bristol, and it's really hard for people to decide whether or not to have kids."

There are now too few children to fill Bristol's 131 primary schools. In September, 18% fewer children started reception than had started eight years prior.