Overview

• ONS reports a total fertility rate of 1.41 in 2024, down from 1.42 in 2023 and the lowest since comparable records began in 1938.
• Live births rose slightly to 594,677 in 2024, yet the fertility rate fell because the adult population expanded faster than births.
• The population of England and Wales increased by about 706,881 to mid‑2024, with immigration accounting for roughly 98% of the rise.
• Only London and the West Midlands saw year‑on‑year fertility increases, with the West Midlands highest at 1.59 and south‑west England lowest at 1.31.
• Local rates ranged from 2.00 in Luton to 0.32 in the City of London, and the average age of parents rose to 31.0 for mothers and 33.9 for fathers with births shifting toward ages 30–39.