The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has warned that Britain’s declining birthrate at a time of soaring abortions is a symptom of “cultural rot” and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown that the fertility rate in 2023 fell to 1.44 children per woman, significantly below the replacement rate of 2.1 children. SPUC described this figure as a “moral alarm bell”.
SPUC noted that the falling birth figures go hand in hand with rising abortion figures. ONS figures have revealed that nearly a third of all pregnancies in Britain end in abortion. In some parts of the country almost half of pregnancies are terminated.
In a statement SPUC said that “the low birth-rate isn’t merely a policy issue – it’s a cultural rot".
"When social norms, economic pressures, or personal ambition deter families from visible growth, it reflects how deeply individualism, consumerism, and fear have permeated our collective psyche," it said.
The group also emphasised the need for investment in facilities that would encourage women to choose life, such as crisis pregnancy centres, material aid and counselling, and further added that policy reforms are needed to change the current financial incentives.
“We must challenge the false narrative that children are an economic burden. Yes, wages are squeezed, housing is tight, and careers are competitive – but these are policy failures, not inevitable facts," it said.
“We need to support targeted reforms: family‑friendly housing policies, tax incentives, expanded parental leave, childcare subsidies. Bringing back a culture that respects and promotes childbirth is both a practical necessity and a moral imperative.”
SPUC concluded warning that a society in which women have only one child on average has consequences not just for the women concerned but for all of society and said that culture must reaffirm the value and importance of motherhood.
“Raising a child isn’t just a private fulfilment – it’s forging the next generation of citizens, carers, innovators. Children are not optional extras; they are the lifeblood of stable societies," it said.
