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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Maya Oppenheim

Fertility rate for England and Wales plummets to lowest level since 1930s

England Wales Geeta Nargund NHS Office for National Statistics European Union
In 2022, the global total fertility rate was 2.3 children per woman, while it was 1.5 in the European Union - (PA)

The fertility rate in England and Wales has dropped to its lowest level since records began in the 1930s, new government data shows.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the total fertility rate – the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime – was 1.44 children per woman in 2023, the lowest since records started in 1938.

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