Overview

• ONS counted 594,677 live births in 2024, a slight rise on 2023 even as the per‑woman rate continued to decline.
• The population reached an estimated 61.8 million in mid‑2024, up about 706,881 year on year, with immigration accounting for the vast majority of the increase.
• Regional results diverged, with the West Midlands highest at 1.59 and south‑west England lowest at 1.31, and only London and the West Midlands recording year‑on‑year increases.
• Local variation was stark, ranging from Luton at 2.00 children per woman to the City of London at 0.32.
• Parents’ ages continued to edge up to 31.0 for mothers and 33.9 for fathers, with fertility falling most among under‑30s and rising in some older age groups.