Births

* The birth rate is the number of live births per 1000 of the population per year.

* There have been fluctuations in births, with three baby booms’ in the 20tb century.

* The first two came after the two world wars (1914-18 and 1939-45) as returning servicemen and their partners started families that they had postponed during the war years. * There was a third baby boom in the 1960s, after which the birth rate fell sharply during the 1970s. The rate rose during the 1980s, before falling again after the early 1990s, with a recent increase since 2001.

The total fertility rate * The total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children women will have during their fertile years. * Women are postponing having children: the average age for giving birth is now 29.6, and fertility rates for women in their 30s and 40s are on the increase. Older women may be less fertile and have fewer fertile years remaining, and so they produce fewer children.

Reasons for the decline in the birth rate

* Sociologists have identified a number of reasons for the long.4erm decline in the birth rate since 1900. These reasons involve a range of social, economic, cultural, legal, political and technological factors.

Changes in the position of women

- There were major changes in the position of women during the 20tb century. These include:
- Legal equality with men, including the right to vote.Increased educational opportunities — girls now do better at school than boys
- More women in paid employment, plus laws outlawing unequal pay and sex discrimination.
- Changes in attitudes to family life and women role.
- Easier access to divorce.
- Access to abortion and reliable contraception, giving women more control over their fertility.
- As a result of these changes, women now see other possibilities in life apart from the traditional role of housewife and mother. Many are choosing to delay childbearing, or not to have children at all, in order to pursue a career. For example, in 2006, one in five women aged 45 was childless—double the number of 20 years earlier