The fertility rate for England and Wales has plummeted to a record low after falling for three consecutive years, data from the Office for National Statistics reveals, with births barely outpacing deaths.
The total fertility rate – defined as the average number of children women would expect to have across their childbearing life – stood at 1.41 in 2024, down from 1.42 in 2023 and the lowest since records began in 1938.
