The Unseen Demographic Shift: When Family-Friendly Boroughs Become Unaffordable

Islington is often considered a family-friendly area, with its quiet side streets and leafy atmosphere. However, scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find a borough struggling with one of the lowest fertility rates in the country. According to the London Assembly’s Economy, Culture and Skills Committee, this reality poses an “existential challenge.”

Between 2013 and 2023, London’s population of 0-9-year-olds fell by 99,100, despite the capital’s overall population growing by 506,000. Islington’s low fertility rate is part of a broader trend affecting not only inner London but also other parts of the world.

Young women are leaving Islington in droves, with 1,062 net losses in the 30-34 age group in 2025 – one of the biggest declines for that age group nationwide. Renters in Islington spent an astonishing 46% of their median local income on rent in 2023-24, making them among the most overburdened renters in England and Wales.

The housing market is a key culprit here. With the median house price almost 12 times the median annual income in 2025, Islington ranks among the 40 least affordable local authorities in England. Expensive childcare doesn’t help either – parents paid an average £9.39 an hour for two-year-olds in 2025, ranking them among the most overcharged parents in England.

But there’s another aspect to this story that often goes unmentioned: the impact on working-age adults who choose not to have children. For Francesca and Andy Baker-Brooker, a couple living in Islington, parenthood was never an option they seriously considered. “We like our lifestyle,” Francesca said matter-of-factly, “we like running, going to festivals and gigs.” They’ve opted for a child-free existence with no regrets.

In fact, about half of their friends in London don’t have children, according to the couple. This phenomenon is more pronounced outside the capital, where families are less expensive to raise and more affordable housing options abound.

The trend threatening to decimate the city’s workforce in 40-50 years demands policymakers’ attention. Bassam Mahfouz’s call to action – tackling the fertility rate decline as an “absolute emergency” – rings alarmingly true.

To combat this demographic shift, policymakers must tackle the root causes: unaffordable housing, high childcare costs, and the lack of family-friendly infrastructure. The London Assembly recommends pursuing UNICEF Child Friendly City status, introducing child-friendly housing standards, and mapping play and recreation spaces across boroughs. However, these measures only address part of the problem.

Islington and other family-friendly boroughs facing similar challenges must rethink what “family-friendly” really means. It can’t just be a marketing slogan or a nod to the past; it needs to reflect a genuine commitment to supporting families in their daily lives. By doing so, policymakers can create an environment where young families feel welcome and valued, rather than forced out by the unaffordable costs of living.

For parents like Tiphanie Frutuoso and her husband – who are leaving London because childcare is free back home – it’s a stark reminder that this isn’t just a problem for policymakers to solve. It’s also an opportunity for communities, businesses, and individuals to come together and create solutions that support families in all their forms.

The stakes are high, but the future of family life in Islington and London depends on it.