Nearly 40% of women who have terminated a pregnancy say that childcare costs were the primary reason, according to new research.

The data also reveals that an overwhelming majority of current parents believe that childcare costs are a barrier to them increasing the size of their families. Almost all respondents said that the government is not doing enough to support families.

Campaigners have warned that ‘having children is becoming a luxury’ and called on the government to support families by tackling the costs of childcare.

The new research was carried out by Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity and campaign group set up to tackle discrimination against pregnant women and mothers, and supported by Women in Data, who helped to develop a sample accurately reflecting the Scottish population.

In total, 37.9% of women who have ended a pregnancy agreed with the statement: “I believe that the cost of childcare was the primary reason for me to terminate a pregnancy.”

In addition to this, 85.4% of parents said that they regard childcare costs as a “prohibitive” barrier to having more children and 83.7% of mothers reported that such costs “are the same or more than their income”.

Nearly a third of parents reported having to choose between paying for childcare and household essentials.

READ MORE: Scottish parents quitting jobs over childcare costs

More than 40% of respondents said that more than a quarter of their household income is spent on childcare costs, but this figure was significantly higher in urban areas like Aberdeen (61%) and Glasgow (57%).

In Scotland, all three and four year olds are entitled to 1140 funded hours of early learning and childcare per year – roughly equivalent to thirty hours per week during the school year. Provision is also available to some two year olds, such as those with experience of the care system or whose parents are in receipt of certain benefits.

Parents whose children do not quality for funded hours, or who require more childcare than the amount funded by the Scottish Government, have to pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds per month, although research has shown that costs are even higher in England than in Scotland.

Carole Erskine, Head of Policy & Campaigns in Scotland from Pregnant Then Screwed, warned that the costs of childcare are having a serious impact on society:

“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 heart-breaking decision to abort wanted children, leave work, or forgo essential items because of the cost of childcare.

"Having children is becoming a luxury item for many, and we need to nip this in the bud fast for the sake of our economy. Parents cannot pay to go to work; it doesn’t make financial sense, but as things stand, many have no other choice. If the government is serious about supporting families in Scotland, we need to see investment that matches that vision.”

READ MORE: Scottish childcare sector 'fragile' after doubling of free hours

Jane Brumpton, CEO of Early Years Scotland, called on the Scottish Government to address ongoing funding issues in the sector in order to tackle the rising costs of childcare:

“As a national organisation that that supports our youngest children from pre-birth to 5 years of age, Early Years Scotland is very aware of the challenges faced by parents in terms of paying for early learning and childcare (ELC) over and above their access to the funded entitlement via the 1140 hours policy. It is also heart-breaking to hear that some parents take life-changing decisions based on the potential costs associated with childcare.

"We work with ELC member settings nationally and are, therefore, acutely aware of the range of challenges currently faced by providers, as the costs associated with providing high quality ELC have risen, and continue to do so, year on year.

"Pressures on the sector, alongside the significant variability and lack of equity of funding for private and voluntary sector nurseries, means that many providers are experiencing ongoing sustainability challenges.

"EYS reiterates our call for a more equitable and independent national approach to setting sustainable payment rates for providers, which would go some way to them being able to avoid taking difficult decisions and having to increase fees to parents to sustain their business. We firmly believe that the value of high-quality ELC in the earliest stages of a child’s life means that the associated costs of provision should be high, however parents should not bear the burden, especially if this leads to the troubling findings associated with the Pregnant then Screwed research”.

Agnes Tolmie, chair of the Scottish Women's Convention, said: “At the Scottish Women’s Convention (SWC), we are consistently told of women’s struggle to access good quality, affordable childcare.

"Our recent focus on this topic has highlighted that women often incorporate childcare into major life decisions, including choosing whether to have more than one child.  To combat this, women have called for a drastic overhaul of the childcare system in Scotland which enables positive outcomes for families.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 

"A women’s right to choose is a deeply personal issue and there are a wide range of reasons why different women may seek an abortion. The Scottish Government will look carefully at the full findings of this research once it is published.

"Scotland is the only part of the UK to already offer 1,140 hours a year of funded early learning and childcare to all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds (equivalent to 30 hours per week in term time) regardless of their parents’ working status - putting children first. This offer has been in place since 2021 and, if families paid for this themselves, it would cost them around £5,800 per eligible child per year.

"We recognise that supporting families through high quality, affordable and accessible childcare is critical to our national mission to tackle child poverty.  We will continue our work to develop an expanded national offer for more families with two-year olds, and progress work with early adopter communities in six local authorities to develop local systems of funded childcare for families who need it most.”