Caesareans overtake natural vaginal births in England for first time, NHS data finds

For women under 30, the most common method of delivery was natural vaginal birth, and for women aged 30 and over caesareans were most common. Photograph: SerrNovik/Getty

Births through caesarean section have overtaken natural vaginal births in England for the first time, NHS data has revealed.

Last year, 45% of births in England were through caesareans, 44% were through natural vaginal births and 11% were assisted with instruments such as forceps or ventouse, according to the data published on Tuesday.