Fertility rate in England and Wales is now at a record low

THE fertility rate for England and Wales has slumped to a record low after falling for the third year in a row.

- By Ian Jones

Defined as the average number of live children women would expect to have across their child-bearing life, the rate across both nations – in decline since 2010 – stood at 1.41 in 2024.

It is down from 1.42 in 2023 and is the lowest figure since comparable data was first recorded in 1938, the Office for National Statistics says.

For a population to remain stable – discounting any impact from migration – the total fertility rate needs to be around 2.1.

The drop comes despite the number of births in england and Wales increasing – for the first time since 2021 – from 591,072 to 594,677 in 2024. A jump in the size of the population offset the greater number of births.