We’re DINKs — here’s why more couples aren’t having children

A childfree couple say the fertility rate is at an all time low due to the “costs of childcare and the scaremongering on social media.”

Hannah Bird, 25, and her husband Charlie Camper, 25, are DINKS – dual income no kids – and are instead concentrating on traveling.

The fertility rate in England and Wales has fallen to the lowest level since records began, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

The average total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of children born to a woman – was 1.44 children per woman in 2023, the lowest since records began in 1938.

Hannah, a travel blogger, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, said: “I think more couples are choosing to not have children mainly due to costs of childcare and the scaremongering on social media about work ethics for women.

“There’s definitely discrimination in the workplace for women who have kids and social media makes me think that isn’t right. It puts me off.”

She added: “People are prioritizing [spending on] experiences over things like childcare. We want to experience life and holidays more whilst we still can.”

Not feeling ready, and the cost of housing and childcare are amongst the list of reasons millennials are choosing not to have children, research from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies has found.

Hannah said: “It’s more affordable to fly and go on holiday and I think people are only now starting to realize that.

“An average night out in the UK is the same as going to Italy for a few days, so I think we are spending our money more wisely.”

The couple have visited 16 countries this year alone, and still have six more holidays planned in the next two months.

They make the most of these trips, doing activities such as skydiving, skiing and snorkeling and say they are in no rush for children.

Hannah and Charlie, a professional golfer, have opted to not conceive naturally, should they become parents in the future, due to Charlie having a genetic heart condition caused by a gene mutation.

“We have just gotten our first IVF referral, after signing up back in February,” Hannah said.

She said: “We decided to start the process as it is now a two to three year waiting time.”

According to government data, women have increasingly had children at older ages, with only one in five women born in 1997 having a child before the age of 25.

In January, the couple their honeymoon visiting India, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Brisbane, Japan and Hong Kong.

They went on to visit India, Australia, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Luxembourg, Spain, Hungary, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, all in the space of 9 months.

The couple don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

“We are flying to Kenya next week for a safari and then to Zanzibar for six days,” Hannah said.

“People say if you don’t have a child you’re not fulfilling your life.

“I’m pretty happy sat on a beach.

“If you don’t want kids – that’s OK. If you do – that’s OK.”

Countries the couple have visited –

• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Italy
• Netherlands
• France
• Belgium

• Germany
• Slovakia
• Vatican City
• Austria
• Czech republic
• Greece
• Switzerland

• Spain
• Iceland
• Portugal
• Croatia

• Turkey
• Malta
• USA
• Qatar
• UAE

• Maldives
• Ireland
• Finland
• Poland
• Denmark
• Jordan

• Korea
• India
• Singapore
• Kuala Lumpur
• Australia
• Japan

• Hong Kong
• Norway
• Luxembourg

• Hungary
• Egypt
• Saudi Arabia