A new study by GMB London Region has shown a correlation between housing costs in London, and the number of births in the capital since 2010. The study has found that those living in boroughs with high housing costs are having fewer children than those where housing is more affordable.

In January 2018, the average house price in Kensington and Chelsea was £1,463,378. In the eight years since 2010, the number of a births per year in the borough decreased by 26.29%, from 2,221 to 1,637.

Other areas where this is occurring include Richmond Upon Thames which had an average house price of £639,200 in January 2018 and has seen a 22.79% decrease in the number of births since 2010; Lambeth where the average house price was £514,176, has seen a decrease of 20.53% in the birth rate; Westminster were the average house price was £1,116,111, has seen a decrease in birth rate of 17.95%; and Camden were the average house price was £859,593, saw birth rates decrease over eight years also by 17.95%.

However, as we have highlighted in previous articles in PIN, London is also getting older and the older residents tend to have more money and therefore are more likely to live in the more expensive boroughs.