WOMEN in England and Wales had an average of 1.44 children between 2022 and 2023 according to data published by the Office for National Statistics, the lowest rate on record. Overall, there were 591,072 live births in England and Wales, which is the lowest number of births since 1977. Since 2012, births in England and Wales have generally declined. Although there was a temporary increase in births in 2021, likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the downward trend resumed in 2022 and continued into 2023. When considering fertility rates by area, the total fertility rate decreased for all regions but Wales and North West England saw the largest decrease.
The average age of parents has also been steadily increasing for the last 50 years. Data from 2023 indicates that the average age of mothers remained at 30.9 years, but for fathers it has increased from 33.7 in 2022, to 33.8 years in 2023. This change could be attributed to the fact that younger age groups see declining age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs), while birth rates among those aged 30 and over have remained stable or increased in recent decades. In 2023, men and women aged under 40 had fewer children on average compared to a decade ago, with women aged 40 and over showing slightly more stable rates.
The overall rate of stillbirths for England and Wales in 2023 was 4.0 stillbirths per 1,000 total births, a rate that remained unchanged from 2022. However, when breaking this figure down by ethnic group, stillbirths per 1,000 total births decreased in the Black ethnic group, the Mixed or multiple ethnic groups, and the White ethnic group, while increasing in the Asian ethnic group and the “any other ethnic group”.
Finally, the date with the most live births was 28th September while Boxing Day remained the date with the least live births for the 11th year in a row.
Abigail Craig, EMJ
Reference
The Office for National Statistics. Births in England and Wales: 2023. Available at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthsummarytablesenglandandwales/2023. Last accessed: 29 October 2024.
