Mothers lose an average of £65,618 in pay by first child's fifth birthday

Mothers in England lose an average of £65,618 in pay by the time their first child turns five, official figures show.

- Lauren Almeida

The “motherhood penalty” puts their financial security at risk, according to the Office for National Statistics, because they are less likely to stay in paid employment.

The ONS found women's average earnings were 42%, or £1,051 a month, lower five years after a first child compared with a year before the birth.

This equated to a loss of £65,618 over five years, according to the analysis, which tracked pay data from 2014 to 2022. An extra £26,317 was lost after the birth of a second child and a further £32,456 after a third.