Overview

• Official figures put England and Wales at 1.41 births per woman in 2024, the lowest on record, with Scotland at 1.25.
• Pew’s analysis of UN and OECD data shows sharp declines since 1950 across all regions, with Latin America falling from about 5.8 to 1.8 and Africa from about 6.5 to 4.0.
• China’s fertility rate is near 1.0, North America averages about 1.6, Europe about 1.4, and nearly all wealthy countries remain below the 2.1 replacement level.
• The United States has seen 18 consecutive years of decline to a record-low birth rate, with the drop continuing.
• Demographers cite economic insecurity, high housing and childcare costs, and unequal caregiving expectations as key drivers, while warning that fewer children will strain labor forces and public finances.