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A survey of 4,000 UK women aged 19 to 49 found 38% had children later than planned, while 27% had no children but wanted them. Respondents cited feeling too young, financial pressures and not having the right partner; many mothers also reported gaps in access to childcare and workplace support.
Nearly four in 10 women surveyed in the UK said they had their first child later than they had wanted, by an average of about six years, according to the inaugural IVI Institute Fertility Barometer. The survey suggests that financial pressure, relationship circumstances and access to family support can complicate plans to have children, though it does not establish why any individual woman delayed parenthood.
The online survey, conducted by GfK, a NielsenIQ company, between June 10 and July 3, 2026, included a nationally representative sample of 4,000 UK women aged 19 to 49. It formed part of a wider study spanning nine countries. The report says 70% considered having a child important, while 38% said they had children later than planned.
Among women who said they were putting off parenthood, 33% cited feeling too young, 32% said they did not have enough money and 30% said they had not found the right partner. The report also found a gap between desired and actual family size: women surveyed reported having almost one fewer child than they had originally hoped for. Twenty-seven percent had no children but wanted them.
Mothers also described differences between the support they wanted and what they said they received. While 76% wanted subsidised childcare, 30% said they currently received it. Paid maternity leave was wanted by 75%, compared with 57% who said they had access to it. For paid paternity leave, the figures were 63% and 18%; for remote or hybrid work, 56% and 18%.
The Gap Between Family Plans and Support
The findings draw attention to the difference between wanting children and feeling able to start a family at a preferred time. The reported gaps in childcare, leave and workplace flexibility offer a snapshot of the pressures respondents say they face, although the survey cannot show that any single policy shortfall caused a delay.
The report also comes amid a continuing decline in births. It cites a 2025 fertility rate of 1.39 children per woman in England and Wales, described in the source report as a fourth consecutive record low. That statistic provides demographic context, but it does not by itself explain why the rate fell or establish that the survey’s respondents represent all causes of the trend.
For readers making decisions about parenthood, the results underline that timing can be shaped by personal circumstances and available support, not simply by whether someone wants children. The survey’s figures describe group responses and cannot predict an individual’s fertility or family choices.
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What the Fertility Barometer Measured
The barometer asked women about family plans, barriers to having children, support for parents and experiences of infertility. One in five respondents said they had experienced infertility. Among that group, 71% said they had contacted a healthcare professional, seeking help after an average of 14 months and at an average age of 27. The report says 17% of women who had experienced infertility had undergone IVF.
Financial strain featured in those responses: 68% of women who had experienced infertility described it as a high burden, and 32% said treatment costs or lost income from time off for appointments affected them. Separately, 66% of all women surveyed believed men took fertility health less seriously than women. These are respondents’ reported experiences and perceptions, not clinical measurements of infertility or attitudes among all UK men and women.
IVI Fertility Northern Europe CEO Dan Annetts said the findings challenge the idea that falling birth rates simply reflect women choosing not to have children. The source report quotes him saying that many women want to start a family but lack financial, workplace, childcare and emotional support. That is Annetts’ interpretation of the survey, rather than a causal conclusion established by the study design.
“It’s tempting to assume that falling birth rates are simply a result of women not wanting to have children, but our report demonstrates that this is far from the case.”
— Dan Annetts, CEO of IVI Fertility Northern Europe
Limits of the Survey Findings
The survey reports what respondents said; it does not establish that childcare costs, leave policies, finances or relationship circumstances directly caused delayed parenthood. The published material does not provide detailed breakdowns of responses by age, income, region or other characteristics, so it is not possible to tell from these figures how experiences differ across groups.
The report also does not explain the method used to calculate the average six-year delay or give a full comparison of desired and actual family sizes. Its findings should not be treated as a forecast of fertility outcomes or as representative of every woman’s experience. Individual fertility varies, and the survey cannot determine what will happen in a particular person’s case.
Further Data on Family Support
The source material does not announce a follow-up study, policy change or next publication date. The immediate next step for interpreting the findings is to distinguish the survey’s reported experiences from broader conclusions about the causes of birth-rate changes. Further data broken down by age and economic circumstances, alongside evidence about access to childcare and leave, could clarify how these factors relate to family plans.
Women with questions about fertility or treatment can seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The barometer is a population survey, not medical advice or a guide to an individual’s chances of conceiving.
Key Questions
How many women said they had children later than planned?
Thirty-eight percent of the 4,000 UK women surveyed said they had children later than planned. The report gives the average delay as about six years.
What reasons did respondents give for putting off parenthood?
Among women who said they were delaying parenthood, 33% felt too young, 32% cited not having enough money and 30% said they had not found the right partner.
What support did mothers say they wanted?
Respondents reported demand for subsidised childcare, paid parental leave and remote or hybrid work. For example, 76% of mothers wanted subsidised childcare, while 30% said they received it.
Does the survey prove that lack of support caused delays?
No. The survey records respondents’ answers and experiences. It does not establish that a particular support gap caused a specific person to delay having children.
What did the survey find about infertility?
One in five respondents said they had experienced infertility. Among those respondents, 71% said they contacted a healthcare professional and 17% said they had undergone IVF.
Source: rss
