A survey of Londoners has found that almost a
third (30 per cent) consider the city to be an
unsuitable place to raise children, with four in ten
Londoners (41 per cent) considering it to be a
suitable place. [1]
London is facing a significant demographic challenge. After a
decade of rapid growth in the 2000s, the number of children
living in London has since gone into decline at a faster rate
than elsewhere in the UK since the early 2010s.[2]
Between 2013 and 2023, London's population of 0-9 year olds
decreased by 99,100, despite the overall population of the
capital increasing by 506,000 during the same period.[3] The
decline has been sharper in Inner London than Outer London. This
has given rise to concerns that London – and particularly Inner
London – could become a “child-free area”.[4]
The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills
Committee has today launched its report
- A London for every child: Reversing the city's declining
child population – setting out steps for the Mayor to make
London a more child-friendly city.
Families in London face serious financial and practical barriers,
including the cost of childcare and housing. For families who
stay in the capital, they are often faced with new housing
developments that are designed to discourage children playing in
their community, or unwelcoming attitudes from neighbours or the
authorities.
The declining number of children is having a notable effect on
London's school system. Schools with falling roll numbers are
facing increasing financial pressure since their funding is
provided on a per-pupil basis. In recent years, this has resulted
in a rise in the number of schools in London that have closed or
merged due to falling pupil numbers.
Key recommendations in the report include:
- London should seek to become a UNICEF Child Friendly City.
The Mayor should identify the steps required for London to
achieve this recognition and pursue actions that enable him to do
so.
- The Mayor should include specific requirements for homes
suitable for children across all types of tenure in the next
London Plan. These requirements should be included in the draft
London Plan, which is due to be published in 2026.
- The Greater London Authority (GLA) should develop a map of
all the spaces in London that children and young people can
access for play and informal recreation. This would help boroughs
identify where they have a deficit or surplus of provision and
support cross-borough collaboration.
Hina Bokhari OBE AM, Chair of the London
Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee, said:
“Children and young people are essential to London's vibrancy
as a global city. Providing the right conditions for children to
flourish as they grow up and choose to remain here in
London as adults is essential to the city's long-term
economic, social, and cultural dynamism, which further benefits
the rest of the country.
“We cannot allow London to become a place where only a small
number of families can afford to live and even fewer can manage
to enjoy a good quality of life.
“The cost of housing and childcare, housing developments that
are not designed with children in mind, and systems and attitudes
that make family life more difficult are contributing to the
declining number of children in the capital.
“We heard that falling pupil numbers are placing real
pressures on London's schools. As enrolments decline, so too does
funding, which makes already tight budgets even harder to
manage.
“This can lead to difficult decisions, including reducing the
extracurricular activities that enrich pupils' experiences, or
cutting back on essential supports for children with special
educational needs and disabilities.
“London must prioritise keeping children and families in the
city. Without urgent action, we risk seeing even more families
take the decision to leave and set up their lives
elsewhere.”
Notes to editors:
- GLA City Intelligence (2025), London Assembly Children in
London Polling – October 2025. The survey was conducted
by YouGov for the GLA between 17 October and 3 November 2025,
with a response of 1,416 London residents aged 18+. Respondents
completed the survey online from an email link. The figures
have been weighted to be representative of all London adults.
- London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee,
Informal briefing from GLA City Intelligence, 14 October 2025.
- Trust for London (2025), ‘The age distribution of the
population'.
- Centre for London (2022), ‘Is inner London becoming a
‘child-free area'?'.
- Read responses from Londoners about raising
children in London here.
- Read the embargoed report in full
attached.
-
Hina Bokhari OBE
AM, Chair of the Economy, Culture and Skills
Committee, is available for interview.
