[arista]

Fewer Babies

This is UK
but for many years
China has had the same


[Alex Czok and her husband Tom Beech
had hoped to start a family this year
but when their mortgage went up by
hundreds of pounds they put
their plans on hold.
They are one of the four million UK households
facing higher mortgage bills this year.
On Thursday, the Bank of England
increased the UK's main interest
rate to 4% - its highest in almost 15 years.
But mortgage payments aren't counted
in the main cost of living figure that
drives pay and benefit rises.


"Because of the mortgage going
up by £300, the money I was thinking
of putting aside for the child,
it would eat up most of that,
so I will have to wait until we get
a better mortgage deal,"
the 26-year-old said.]




https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64387648