In a news story this this morning I noticed that the UK population is growing at its fastest rate since 1973, a period of severe economic distress. Is there any evidence or studies that show that there is a relationship?

The usual explanation I see is that people stay in more during a recession, but this seems over simplistic.

I wondered if there was maybe a feedback/tipping point effect, so that once a certain percentage of people are expecting, there is suddenly a rapid increase; or if the population reacts as a whole in periods of distress by increasing birth rates?