Four in 10 women in Scotland who have terminated a pregnancy say that the cost of childcare was the primary motivation for their decision. 

Research commissioned by Pregnant Then Screwed, a lobby group for ending the motherhood penalty, has revealed “heartbreaking” consequences of childcare costs on parents in Scotland. It claims that “4 in 5 mothers (83.7%) [say] their childcare costs are the same or more than their income — meaning that some parents are in fact, paying to work.” 

Carole Erskine, of Pregnant Then Screwed, commented, “The government is desperate for families in Scotland to have more babies, but our research shows that many parents simply can’t afford to have children due to the ever-spiralling costs of childcare. If we do not see increased investment into the sector, more parents will be forced to make the heartbreaking decision to abort wanted children, leave work, or forgo essential items because of the cost of childcare.”

Scotland’s fertility rate was about 1.28 in 2022, one of the lowest in Europe.