Official figures show that births have fallen to their lowest level in half a century, with foreign-born parents accounting for a record four in ten. The data also highlights the ongoing trend of people delaying having children until later in life, with the average age of parents increasing to 31.1-years-old for mothers and 34 for fathers.
Births plunged to their lowest in half a century last year while foreign-born parents accounted for a record four in ten, official figures show. There were 585,396 live births in England and Wales last year - down from 594,677 the year before and the lowest since 1976.
It was also the fourth lowest in 100 years, today's figures revealed. Meanwhile, in a sign of how diverse Britain's population has become, the data showed 40 per cent of births in 2025 were to parents where one or both were foreign-born. This is the highest proportion since 2008, when the Office for National Statistics started calculating the proportion of foreign-born parents.
In a dozen areas across England and Wales, more than three-quarters of births were to parents where at least one was foreign-born. This was also the case for over half of births in more than 50 areas. The London borough of Brent recorded the largest proportion of births where at least one parent was foreign-born. Outside of the capital, Slough in Berkshire recorded the highest rate of foreign-born parents.
India remained the most frequent country of birth recorded for foreign-born mothers and fathers. As well as birth rates falling, the data highlighted the ongoing trend of people delaying having children until later in life. The average age of parents increased to 31.1-years-old for mothers and 34 for fathers in 2025, up slightly from 2024. By contrast, in 1975, the average for mothers was 26.4 and 29.5 for fathers.
There was also a big percentage increase in the proportion of men becoming fathers aged 60 to 64. The largest fall in births by age group was mothers under 20-years-old. The number of live births decreased for parents under 34-years-old last year compared to 2024 and rose for parents over this age. The ONS said Boxing Day - December 26 - remained the least frequent birth date since 2013.
It added that the most frequent has been variable. The stillbirth rate remained stable for England and Wales. The agency's Greg Ceely said: 'In 2025 the number of babies born fell to the lowest level in almost half a century and continues the long-term trend of falling births going back over the past decade.
Births Foreign-Born Parents Population Delayed Parenthood Average Age Of Parents
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Zelda: The Wind Waker's Official Switch Debut Has One Big ProblemZelda: The Wind Waker on Nintendo Switch is the dream for many, but it's facing one big pain point according to a lot of gamers.
Read more »
Tether will launch an 'official' stablecoin in Georgia tied to local currencyThe new cryptocurrency will be called GELT and will represent the Georgian Lari.
Read more »
Rico Verhoeven Makes Official Move to Overturn Oleksandr Usyk LossRico Verhoeven is officially appealing his controversial loss to Oleksandr Usyk. Verhoeven was a sizeable underdog in his second career professional boxing bout
Read more »
England and Wales Births Hit 50-Year Low Amid Rising Foreign-Born ParentageOfficial data reveals that live births in England and Wales fell to their lowest level since 1976 in 2025, with 585,396 births. A record 40% of these births were to foreign-born parents, highlighting increasing diversity. The average age of mothers rose to 31.1 and fathers to 34. Births declined among younger parents but increased for those over 34. Financial pressures, including housing and childcare costs, are cited as contributing factors. Specific regions like Brent, Slough, and Luton show especially high proportions of births to foreign-born parents.
Read more »