The biggest decline in fertility rates is among women in the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups, the latest data shows.
The fertility rate in England and Wales has fallen to the lowest level since records began, according to government data.
The average total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime – was 1.44 children per woman in 2023.
It is the lowest value since records began in 1938, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.
Some 591,072 live births were recorded – the lowest number since 1977.
Figures for 2022 showed the average TFR had declined to 1.49 children per woman, down from 1.55 in 2021.
The fertility rate in England & Wales fell to 1.44 in 2023, the lowest since records began in 1938
This latest data follows analysis commissioned by Sky News showing the UK’s fertility rate isΒ falling faster than any other G7 country.
