How is the fertility rate changing in England and Wales?
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
Fewer children are being born in England and Wales and the fertility rate is at its lowest level on record. But as we can learn from earlier generations, this is not the entire picture when measuring long-term fertility.
Fertility rates, which measure the number of children born per woman of childbearing age, have been gradually falling across the world and more than halved since 1963.
Our Births in England and Wales: 2023 release shows that the total fertility rate in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level on record, at 1.44 children per woman.
The number of children born in England and Wales has been falling for the last decade and is at its lowest since 1977, while the average age of first-time mothers is at an all-time high.
There are several ways of measuring fertility, and many factors influencing the birth of a child.
Often, we don’t know the full story until women have completed their families, which is usually around the age of 45 years.
We can look back throug...
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
