by Gabriella Swerling, Telegraph
Think tank accuses Government of being ‘asleep at the wheel’ in failing to support family life
Deaths have begun to outnumber births in England and Wales from today, according to analysts.
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) think tank has called the date “death day”, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) predicting 450,000 more deaths than births over the next decade.
The demographic shift stems primarily from a falling birth rate as couples reconsider plans to have children. Contributing factors include the high cost of housing and childcare, along with inflexible working conditions.
It also comes against the backdrop of a cultural shift in which many people delay marriage and parenthood, more women prioritise careers and couples opt to have smaller families.
The CSJ has accused the Government of being “asleep at the wheel”, prompting urgent calls to “put family first”.