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Britain’s fertility timebomb was laid bare today with the lowest birth rate ever recorded in official statistics.
England and Wales recorded an average of 1.44 children per women of childbearing age as of 2023, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) today.
Experts fear falling rates will lead to population decline — with fewer working age adults triggering economic issues and a reliance on migration to prop up numbers.
Women focusing on their careers in their younger years has been blamed, whilst others have pointed to the cost of living and of housing as factors.
Particular areas of the England and Wales recorded especially low fertility rates.
One of these ‘baby deserts’ was The City of London which had the lowest fertility rate at an average 0.55 babies per woman.
Cambridge recorded the second lowest fertility rate of 0.91, followed by Brighton and Hove at 0.98 babies per woman.
By region the biggest drop in fertility rates was in Wales, falling to 1.39 from 1.46 and the North West of England, to 1.46 from 1.53. https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/20014956/embed
Women of childbearing age have, on average, only had 1.44 children each as of 2023, according to a report from the Office of National Statistics. This is the lowest level recorded since records began in 1938
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Cambridge recorded one of the lowest lowest fertility rates in England and Wales at less than one baby per woman of childbearing age
