OPINION - Stop blaming young women for the falling birth rate — start blaming the economy

In the past few years, a frustrating trend has emerged in reporting on the UK’s falling birth rate. Every month or so, a study reveals new statistics pointing out that either fewer people are having children, or that the average age for first-time parents is increasing. Then a slew of alarmist headlines collectively decide that these stories are actually about women — women “prioritising their careers”, “forgetting to have children”, remaining “childless” into their thirties.