Fertility rate in England and Wales drops to new record low

The rate was down from an average of 1.49 children per woman over their lifetime in 2022 (PA) - (PA Wire)

The total fertility rate across England and Wales dropped to a new record low last year, while the number of live births fell to the lowest in nearly five decades.

While fertility rates across the two nations have been in overall decline since 2010, the rate in 2023 fell to 1.44 children per woman, which the Office for National Statistics said is the lowest value since records began in 1938.