British birth rates hit record lows

Figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown a decline within the birth rate to record lows.

In England and Wales the fertility rate fell from 1.42 children per woman in 2023 to 1.41 in 2024, a record low. Official figures from Scotland saw the same trend, with the fertility rate falling to 1.25, also a record low.

For the population to stay at present levels, a birth rate of two.1 children per woman is the widely accepted figure essential.

The figures also showed that, on average, women are inclined to have children later in life, with the typical age at childbirth rising from 30.9 in 2023 to 31 in 2024. Twenty years ago the typical woman giving birth was 29.

The average age of fathers has also increased through the years. In 2004 it was 32.1, in 2023 it reached 33.8 and last 12 months it was 33.9.

Melinda Mills, professor of demography and population health on the University of Oxford, told the Financial Times that uncertainties around employment, gender inequality and the difficulties of balancing work and family were all contributing to women having children later, and even in no way. Unstable relationships are also increasingly an element.

Some parts of the United Kingdom actually saw a rise within the fertility rate, with London and the West Midlands each seeing rises for the primary time since 2021.

South Korea has the bottom birthrate on this planet, with 0.75 children per woman being the official figure in 2024, a slight rise from its record low of 0.72 in 2023.