Birth rates have collapsed to a new record low in England and Wales for the third year in a row, according to Government data.
The new figures show that in 2024, the total fertility rate was 1.41 children per woman for England and Wales, compared to 1.42 in 2023.
These figures, which break the record as the lowest for the third time in three years, could mean that the native population would rapidly decline.
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Only the birth rates in London and the West Midlands rose.
Birth rates have collapsed to a new record low in England and Wales for the third year in a row
|GETTY
London's total fertility rate increased from 1.33 in 2023 to 1.35 in 2024.
While the West Midlands increased from 1.56 in 2023 to 1.59 in 2024
They are the first regional increases since 2021.
The total fertility rate for England and Wales has been in decline since 2012, with this year becoming the record low.
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Births in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics
|Births in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics
Despite the lower percentage of the population having children, the number of births has increased slightly due to population growth, mainly driven by migration.
The population of England and Wales has grown by over 700,000 in the year to June 2024, ONS data shows.
The data reveal that immigration has been responsible for 98 per cent of the massive increase, with two per cent, or just 29,982, attributed to the difference in birth/death rates.
In England, the fertility rate has remained stationary for the first time since separate values for England and Wales were first published in 2013 at 1.42.
Births in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics
|Births in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics
Wales has been responsible for the drop, plummeting by 0.03 from 1.38 in 2023 to 1.35 in 2024.
Six of the nine regions in England saw a decrease in the fertility rate.
The North West remained level and experienced no change.
In England, Birmingham experienced the largest increase in the fertility rate at 0.14, whereas Maldon experienced the largest decrease at -0.22.
Standardised Mean Age of Mothers in Years
|Births in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics
Despite an increase this year, the City of London had the lowest fertility rate of all local authorities (0.32) and has done so since 2021.
Luton was the local authority with the highest fertility rate at 2.00.
For Wales, Newport had the highest rate of Welsh LAs in 2024 at 1.64 and has had the highest rate of all local authorities in Wales since 2022.
Cardiff had the lowest fertility rate at 1.19, and has had the lowest of Welsh local authorities for the past 10 years, except in 2020.
The data shows 594,540 live births took place in England and Wales in 2024 | GETTYThere were an estimated 61.8 million people in England and Wales in mid-2024, up 706,881 from 61.1 million in mid-2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This figure equals a 1.2 per cent rise.
It is the second largest numerical jump since at least 1949, when comparable data began, behind only the rise of 821,210 that took place in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.
There were slightly more births, 596,012, than deaths, 566,030, in the year to mid-2024.