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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Robert Booth and Michael Goodier

Deaths outstrip births in UK for first time in nearly 50 years

Baby
The total fertility rate in England and Wales fell to 1.49 children per woman in 2022, from 1.55 in 2021. Photograph: Image Source/Getty Images

Deaths have outstripped births in the UK for the first time in nearly half a century, excluding the start of the pandemic, official figures showed on Tuesday.

Declining fertility and the demise of baby boomers mean there are now more funerals than baby celebrations, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

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