Half of mothers who have abortions say that the cost of childcare is the main reason for aborting a child, a devastating survey has found, warning that “We’re running out of babies”.
52.2% of mothers agreed in a survey that “the cost of childcare was the primary reason for me to terminate a pregnancy”, while 85% of surveyed parents viewed “childcare costs as prohibitive of having more children”.
Joeli Brearley, CEO and Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, commenting on the poll, warned that parenthood is increasingly seen as “financial suicide… If we aren’t careful, becoming a parent will be a luxury item, and the economy can’t afford to pay that price.”
The national poll, commissioned by the group Pregnant Then Screwed, involved a representative sample of 5,870 parents taken from a survey of 35,800 parents in 2024.
Another sobering finding of the survey was that 45.8% of parents said they either relied on debt or savings to fund childcare – an increase of 30% increase compared with 2023 – with 36.7% stating they had to borrow the money.
52.9% of parents spent more than a quarter of their household income on childcare, while 19.3% said they were spending more than half.
An overwhelming majority (88.5%) of parents stated that in the upcoming general election they are likely or very likely to vote for the political party with the best childcare pledge.
UK parents will be entitled to 15 hours of free childcare each week from September this year, while working parents will also receive 30 hours free childcare starting in September 2025, the Government has announced.
The birthrate in England and Wales plummeted to a two-decade low in 2022, while abortion surged by 17% during that same time. Half of the neonatal cots in one North London hospital were recently reported to be empty.
Family aspirations cancelled by financial pressures
SPUC’s Michael Robinson, Executive Director (Public Affairs and Legal Services), said: “Contrary to the rhetoric about abortion being about ‘choice’, this devastating poll shows that as many as half of all abortions are forced on women and families by financial circumstances, a woeful situation for a reputedly first world nation.
“This is a clear problem that threatens the lives of unborn children who are ultimately the future of this country. At a time when abortion is soaring to unprecedented levels, the Government should do all it can to lift the financial burden off parents’ shoulders.
“Abortion is ultimately the method used to cancel the future of young lives and the aspirations of would-be parents, a very sorry state of affairs that cannot be allowed to continue.
“There is always an alternative to abortion and pro-life organisations will always be ready to offer compassionate assistance, ensuring that women facing challenging circumstances receive the care and support that they deserve. By providing resources, counselling, practical and emotional support, pro-life groups affirm the inherent value of both women and their child”.