Overview
- The total fertility rate declined to 1.41 children per woman from 1.42 in 2023, even as live births edged up to 594,677, with the population rising by about 706,000 year on year.
- Only London and the West Midlands saw year‑on‑year increases in regional fertility, with the West Midlands highest at 1.59 and the South West lowest at 1.31; the North West was unchanged.
- Local variation was stark, led by Luton at 2.00 children per woman and the City of London at 0.32, while Birmingham recorded one of the largest increases and Maldon one of the sharpest falls.
- Parents are older on average, with mothers at 31.0 years and fathers at 33.9, and the biggest fertility declines occurred among 25–29 year‑olds, while rates rose for many mothers aged 30–39 and fathers 35–39.
- The figures intensified policy debate over childcare costs, housing and immigration, as Scotland also reported a record‑low TFR of 1.25 and ministers weighed pronatalist ideas following warnings from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.