Understanding the Decline in Live Birth Rate in the UK: Barriers, Beliefs and Opportunities to Support Future Families

The report Understanding the Decline in Live Birth Rate in the UK: Barriers, Beliefs and Opportunities to Support Future Families, published in May 2026 by the life sciences and technology company Merck, calls for a comprehensive UK national fertility strategy.

This report was developed by leading clinicians, charities, health economists and patient advocates – including PET Director Sarah Norcross and PET Trustee Professor Richard Anderson – who participated in a Future of Fertility forum convened by Merck in July 2025.

PET is pleased to contribute to this work, having long been interested in state funding of fertility treatment and in whether improving access to state-funded fertility treatment might help to address population decline.

Key findings of the report include:

• Declining birthrates are attributable to a variety of socioeconomic factors.
• Age-related fertility decline is still poorly understood by the public.
• An ageing population and a decreased workforce will present economic challenges for Government, as the number of people paying tax will decline while the number of people needing health and social care will increase.
• Evidence from other countries, and from health economists, demonstrates that investment in fertility services can offer strong financial gains for Government in future.

The report recommends:

• Cross-governmental action to develop and implement a national fertility strategy as an urgent priority. This should include education, childcare, workplace practices and fertility care.
• Improving access to fertility treatment, so that people can receive NHS-funded treatment – as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – in a timely way.
• Increasing knowledge about reproductive health, lifestyle impacts and family planning options, to empower informed decisions.

Download the full report here.

If you would like to collaborate with PET on follow-up work, please contact us.