Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new low

While the number of births fell to a record low last year, the number of women of child-bearing age was at its highest ever at 12 million.

This meant the total fertility rate in 2023 was the lowest recorded since 1938.

Greg Ceely, head of population health monitoring at the ONS, said total fertility rates had been declining since 2010 but was particularly notable in some age groups.

“The decline in fertility rates has been the most dramatic in the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups,” he said.

For countries to maintain their populations, the fertility rate needs to be around 2.1 children per woman.

But despite a declining fertility rate in England and Wales since the 1970s, the population has continued to grow, largely because of immigration.

In most countries around the world, fertility rates are falling.

In Scotland, the total fertility rate also fell to 1.3, and the number of babies born was also down to the lowest ever figure of 45,935, according to the National Records of Scotland, external.

There were 27,374 live births in Wales in 2023 and 563,561 in England.