(Bloomberg) -- The fertility rate in England Wales fell to a record low in 2023, as financial pressures and wider societal shifts put young people off starting a family.
Women had an average of 1.44 children, the lowest figure since records began in 1938 and down sharply since 2010 when the rate was 1.94, data from the Office for National Statistics showed on Monday. In London the rate was even lower at 1.35.
The figures will set off alarm bells over a worsening demographic crisis that is set to ramp up the pressure on the workforce and the public finances. The national level is well below the natural replacement rate of of 2.1
It leaves Britain heavily reliant on immigration to grow its population at a time of growing political tensions over arrivals from overseas.
More women in employment and financial pressures from housing and child care have been blamed for the slump, which is being seen across the developed world. The sharp drop since 2010 has coincided with a difficult period for the UK economy with stagnant real wages and growth slowing from pre-financial crisis rates.
The ONS said there were 591,072 live births in England and Wales, the lowest since 1977 and a decrease of 14,407 on 2022. The biggest falls in the fertility rate were seen in Wales and the North West of England.
The ONS said that the population can continue to grow even after a slump in the fertility rate “as it takes some time for population growth to reverse.”
“The population of England and Wales is projected to continue to grow, largely because of net migration,” it added.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
