"I didn't feel a biological urge. I questioned whether it was a lack of readiness or a lack of desire. Turns out, it was a lack of desire."
A new study by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) estimates that approximately 3 million women aged 16-45 in the UK are likely to remain childfree. This trend is reflected in official data: according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), birth rates in England and Wales fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, reaching their lowest level in nearly 50 years.
The article profiles Jess King, a woman who chose not to have children. Her story illustrates a wider demographic shift that is reshaping the country's population structure. Jess questioned whether her decision was driven by a lack of readiness or a fundamental lack of maternal desire.