Overview

• ONS data show a total fertility rate of 1.41 children per woman in 2024, down from 1.42 in 2023 and well below the 2.1 replacement level.
• Live births edged up to 594,677 last year, while the population rose by about 706,881 to 61.8 million, growth largely driven by migration.
• The regional picture shows the West Midlands highest at 1.59 and the south-west lowest at 1.31, with only London and the West Midlands recording year-on-year increases; locally, Luton was highest at 2.00 and the City of London lowest at 0.32.
• Parents are older on average, with the mean age of mothers at 31.0 and fathers at 33.9, and declines concentrated among people under 30.
• Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged people to consider having more children sooner, citing the repercussions of sustained low fertility.