Fertility rate in England and Wales plummets to record low – this is how we compare with the rest of the world
The fertility rate for the UK and Wales has fallen to a new record level after three consecutive years, new data from the National Statistics Office shows that the deaths of births barely leave behind.
The total fertility rate, which is defined as the average number of children to expect women to have children’s birth lives, is at the lowest level since the records started in 2024, 1.42 in 2023 and records in 1938 in 1938.
Natural population growth has been decreasing for years– Mortality rates are expected to exceed birth from 2030 onwards.
However, migration to England and Wales balances a decreasing population, otherwise it means that the population grows around 706,000 a year.
Last year, the number of births increased a little bit from 591,072 to 594,677. However, the general population growth meant that fertility rates still fell.
The data revealed great differences in fertility rates in different parts of England and Wales – Luton highest rates (2.0) and London City (0.32).
But under all fields The fertility rate of 2.1 for naturally stable over time.
Separate data also showed that Scotland’s fertility fell to a new low level last year.
Although the fertility rates throughout the UK for the last year have not yet been published, the figures of the previous year show that national fertility rates have fallen more than other G7 nations.
In 2023, the fertility rate of England has decreased by 25 percent since 2010, 1.44 children per woman.
Other G7 countries, such as Italy and Japan, still have lower fertility rates, but their decreases should be more gradual than the UK.
Women in the United Kingdom live their first children at an older age.
In 2000, for the first time in England and Wales, mothers were over 26 years of age. This has increased for three years, while an average woman was over 29 years old.
In London, the average for the first time is likely to be more than 33 years of age.
Where are the low fertility rates?
Fertility rates vary significantly in the UK and Wales, the lowest level is 0.32 children per woman and at 2.0, the highest level.
Higher fertility rates are concentrated around Manchester, Birmingham region and areas spread to the south -east of England.
The central officials of London have the lowest fertility rates circulating around a child per woman; If the fields are more, they look at higher rates such as barking and mountainham (1.99).
In fact, many regions of England saw that the fertility rates fell last year – more than half (185 from 317) local authorities faced a decrease and only one -third increased.
For example, in Essex, Maldon saw that fertility rates fell from 1.59 to 1.37 in just one year.
On the other hand, Birmingham saw one of the biggest jumps from 1.61 to 1.75 children per woman.
Population drop concerns
Earlier this year, an IPSOS survey for independent showed that 4 out of 10 adults made children have children and that they were the biggest concern of financial pressures.
The odds fell behind the EU and women live in life later.
This is a source of concern for Nigel Farage, the reform leader Nigel Farage, who can contradict the decreasing fertility rates of England.
In February, Mr. Farage promised to remove the benefits limit if he came to power within the scope of “180 -degree change” to reverse low birth rates.
According to ounce figures, there were about 568,000 deaths and only 594,000 births in England and Wales last year; In other words, it meant that the population would see scarce growth if it wasn’t for the net migration that added 431,000 people in the same period.
Recently a reform spokesman Accepted to Politico Hard interruptions for migration will require increasing birth rates to avoid the “population crisis”.
“We are trying to encourage British people to have children to correct this population crisis,” a spokesman told Politico last week.
