The fertility rate for England and Wales has fallen for the third year in a row to reach a record low, figures show.
The total fertility rate across both countries, meaning the average number of live children women can expect to have across their child-bearing life, stood at 1.41 in 2024, down from 1.42 in 2023, the lowest since comparable data was first collected in 1938, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is despite a 0.6% increase in live births last year, with a 14% increase in the number of babies born to fathers over 60, according to figures published last month.
The disparity is down to the fact the adult population rose in 2024, which outweighed the increase in births. Since 1938, an increase in births at the same time as a decrease in the fertility rate has been observed only six times, with four occurring since 2011.