England and Wales births hit historic low, 585,396 in 2025

Fertility in England and Wales has fallen to a new historic low, with the number of babies born last year reaching the lowest total in nearly half a century, according to provisional data from the Office for National Statistics. The figures also show a continuing rise in the proportion of children born to parents from overseas.

The provisional total fertility rate for 2025 is estimated at 1.39 children per woman, down from 1.41 in 2024 and the lowest figure on record. This remains well below the replacement level of approximately 2.1 children needed for a population to sustain itself without immigration. The number of live births fell to 585,396, the lowest annual total since 1977 and a continuation of a decade-long decline.

Greg Ceely, head of population health monitoring at the ONS, stated that the data continues the long-term trend of falling births. The average age of parents continued to rise slightly, with mothers averaging 31.1 years and fathers 34.0 years, extending a trend of later parenthood that dates back to the 1970s.

Demographers have linked the broader decline in births to factors including delayed childbearing, high housing costs, economic pressures, and shifting...