Fertility rate in England and Wales falls to lowest level since records began

The fertility complaint successful England and Wales has fallen to the lowest level since records began, according to authorities data.

The mean full fertility complaint (TFR) - the mean fig of children calved to a pistillate implicit her beingness - was 1.44 children per pistillate successful 2023.

It is the lowest worth since records began successful 1938, caller figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

Some 591,072 unrecorded births were recorded - the lowest fig since 1977.

A complaint of 2.1 children per pistillate is needed connected mean to guarantee the semipermanent "natural" replacement of the population, according to the ONS.

Yet the complaint has been falling since 2010.

Figures for 2022 showed the mean TFR had declined to 1.49 children per woman, down from 1.55 successful 2021.

Greg Ceely, caput of colonisation wellness monitoring astatine the ONS, said: "Total fertility rates declined successful 2023, a inclination we person seen since 2010.

"Looking successful much item astatine fertility rates among women of antithetic ages, the diminution successful fertility rates has been the astir melodramatic successful the 20-24 and 25-29 property groups."

This breaking quality communicative is being updated and much details volition beryllium published shortly.

Please refresh the leafage for the fullest version.

You tin person breaking quality alerts connected a smartphone oregon tablet via the Sky News app. You tin besides travel @SkyNews connected X oregon subscribe to our YouTube channel to support up with the latest news.