Immature men are to blame for Britain's 'missing babies', report warns

"In previous generations, children left school in their early to mid teens and went into the workplace. For boys this meant learning responsibility, earning money and being mentored by adult men. Boys matured and, in doing so, became marriageable. In 21st century Britain, adolescence now extends well into the early twenties."

"In the past, a 24-year-old man would have been likely to be married, have a child and have been working for the best part of a decade. Now, the average age of leaving home for a young man sits at 25, three years older than for young women."

"Overall, the think tank says around three million women aged 16 to 45 are projected not to have children, compared with only 2.4 million in their grandparents' generation. These women have been labelled 'the missing mothers', at a time when Britain's birth rate falls to the lowest on record."

Britain's declining birth rate is partly attributed to immature men delaying family responsibilities until later in life, according to research from the Centre for Social Justice. The report identifies multiple factors contributing to falling birth rates, including childcare costs, career prioritization, and difficulty finding suitable partners. However, it emphasizes that extended adolescence in modern Britain means young men now mature later than previous generations. Historically, 24-year-old men were typically married with children and established careers. Today, the average age for men leaving home is 25, three years older than women. The current system encourages young people to delay adult responsibilities and accumulate student debt. Approximately three million women aged 16 to 45 are projected never to have children, compared to 2.4 million in their grandparents' generation. Britain's 2024 fertility rate of 1.41 children per woman falls significantly below the 2.1 replacement rate needed to maintain population levels.

Read at Mail Online