Baroness Camilla Cavendish has attributed Britain’s sharply falling birth rate partly to a “romance famine”, arguing that some women struggle to find partners they consider sufficiently stable or suitable for starting families. She said deindustrialisation, insecure employment and delayed adulthood have contributed to more people remaining involuntarily childless, while warning that fewer births could put pressure on the welfare state.

The average number of children per woman has fallen to 1.39, compared with 1.69 in 2000 and 2.69 in 1960. Cavendish said couples now weigh the financial and practical costs of having children more carefully, but fertility specialist Baroness Geeta Nargund cautioned against placing the blame mainly on women’s partner preferences, pointing instead to housing costs, childcare expenses and limited family support.