The UK’s ‘baby gap’ is growing: People want more children than housing, work, and fertility allow

The number of children people want to have is increasingly different from how their families look in reality, according to a new UK fertility report.

New research from wellness brand Wild Nutrition found that 79% of the people they surveyed who have tried to conceive in the past five years would like more children than they currently have. Among parents with one child, that figure rises to 88%.

The findings, published in the new Fertility Disconnect report, highlight how financial pressures, fertility struggles and gaps in reproductive health knowledge are shaping modern family life in the UK.

Why are families having fewer children than planned?

The report surveyed more than 1,000 people across the UK who have tried for a baby in the last five years.

While birth rates continue to fall, the findings suggest it’s not because people no longer want children. Instead, many respondents said external pressures are making it harder to grow their families.

Among the biggest barriers were:

• 26% said career progression affected their family plans
• 25% cited housing affordability and lack of space
• 52% said they required medical intervention during their fertility journey

The report also found that almost a quarter of respondents had spent more than two years trying to conceive.

Fertility struggles are having a major emotional impact

Trying for a baby can take a significant toll on mental health and relationships, especially for those navigating fertility treatment.

According to the research, 38% of respondents said trying to conceive had negatively affected their mental health. That figure rose to 99% among people undergoing fertility treatment.

Navigating a fertility journey is about so much more than medical appointments and procedures. It’s an emotional marathon that can take a huge toll on your mental wellbeing. Sadly, the stats show that 15% of couples going through fertility treatment say their relationship has been irrevocably impaired.

The report also highlighted the realities of secondary infertility, which affects around one in 20 people, challenging the assumption that having one child means conceiving again will be straightforward.

Fertility knowledge gaps remain widespread

Researchers found many people felt under-informed about fertility, particularly younger adults.

Key findings included:

• 10% of Gen Z respondents said they “know nothing” about fertility
• Only one in five respondents said they know “a lot” about egg health
• 60% of women said they were unaware of fertility testing options
• One in five Gen Z respondents said they felt uncomfortable discussing fertility, even with their partner

Around 40% of those surveyed supported fertility education being included in schools, covering topics such as egg health, sperm health and hormonal health.

Experts say fertility health starts before trying for a baby

The report also explored how lifestyle and long-term health may influence fertility outcomes.

Many respondents said they only made changes once they started trying to conceive:

• 44% improved their diet when trying for a baby
• 32% reduced alcohol intake at that stage

Gail Madalena, Fertility Nutritional Therapist at Wild Nutrition, said: “People often assume fertility begins the moment they decide to try [for a baby]. In reality, egg and sperm health are shaped months and years earlier. By the time someone starts thinking about fertility, their body has already been responding to its environment for a long time.”

The report also referenced emerging research that suggests ultra-processed foods and microplastics could have an impact on reproductive health.

The report highlights male fertility too

While fertility conversations often focus on women, the findings showed male fertility issues are also affecting many families.

According to the report:

• 17% of respondents cited sperm health issues as a barrier to conception
• Male factors contribute to around half of all fertility challenges
• Only one in four men said they would share fertility struggles with friends

Ian Stones, co-founder at Test Him Ltd, said: “Many causes of male infertility are entirely treatable yet so often the last resort is the first response.”

Birth rates continue to fall across the UK

The findings come as UK birth rates remain below replacement level.

The report noted that:

• The UK fertility rate is now 1.41, meaning that on average, women give birth to 1.41 children over their lifetimes (the 'replacement rate,' or rate that maintains population numbers, is 2.1)
• The average age of mothers has risen to 31
• Birth rates are falling across most age groups, except among over-40s

There is no single fertility story, and it is rarely a simple, linear narrative.

Dr. Gurtin added that better fertility education, fairer access to treatment, and more open conversations around infertility and pregnancy loss are needed.