Women in England are paying a steep and lasting financial price for motherhood, with average earnings falling by more than £65,000 within five years of having a child, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The analysis, covering pay records between 2014 and 2022, found that mothers’ monthly income drops by 42% – or £1,051 – in the year after childbirth compared with their earnings before. This “motherhood penalty” compounds with each child, leaving mothers with a total loss of more than £124,000 if they have three children.
The financial cost of caring
The ONS data highlights the scale of income loss:
£65,618 gone on average by five years after the first child.
£26,317 lost after a second child.
£32,456 more after a third.
The findings do not account for lost pension contributions, savings, or promotion opportunities, which campaigners say deepen the long-term disadvantage.
Rachel Grocott, chief executive of the maternity rights charity Pregnant Then Screwed, described the figures as “a financial freefall.” She said: “Mothers are punished for caring, sidelined at work, and expected to absorb the cost.”
The decline in earnings is linked to reduced working hours, career breaks, and the high cost and limited availability of childcare. While Shared Parental Leave was introduced in 2014, uptake has remained low, with cultural expectations and financial pressures discouraging many fathers from taking extended time off.
Calls for reform
Joeli Brearley, founder of return-to-work consultancy Growth Spurt, said the figures were “catastrophic for women’s quality of life.” She added: “Money is freedom, and stripping women of that freedom because they became mothers is nothing short of scandalous.”
Campaigners argue that the UK’s parental leave system is outdated. Mothers are currently entitled to six weeks at 90% of pay, followed by up to 33 weeks at a flat rate of £187.18 per week – well below average living costs. Fathers receive just two weeks of leave at the same rate.
“Addressing the motherhood penalty requires bringing parental leave policies into the 21st century,” said Alice Martin, lecturer at Lancaster University. She acknowledged recent government pledges to expand subsidised childcare and flexible working, but stressed “there’s still a long way to go.”
From September 2025, parents earning up to £100,000 a year became eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week for children aged nine months and over. However, nurseries say staff shortages and underfunding make it difficult to deliver the service. A survey by the Early Years Alliance found that 94% of providers expect to raise fees for non-eligible families this year, further adding to household pressures.
An economic cost, not just a personal one
Experts warn that the issue extends beyond individual families. With labour shortages and productivity challenges, the failure to support working mothers risks depriving the economy of experienced talent.
“We can’t talk about growth and innovation without tackling the systemic barriers that force women out of work or into low-paid roles after childbirth,” Brearley said.
As the ONS figures underline, motherhood in the UK still carries a six-figure price tag – a penalty that campaigners argue undermines both gender equality and economic growth.
