00:00Fertility rates in England, Scotland and Wales have dropped to record lows.
00:04New figures from the Office of National Statistics show the rate in England and Wales fell to 1.41
00:10children per woman in 2024, while Scotland was even lower at 1.25. To keep a population steady
00:18without migration, the rate needs to be around 2.1. The decline comes despite a small rise in
00:24live births last year, as overall population growth outweighed the increase. Parents are also
00:30getting older. The average mother is now 31 and father is nearly 34. Regional differences remain.
00:38Luton has the highest fertility rate at 2, while the City of London was the lowest at just 0.32.
00:45Experts say that people are postponing having children, often due to economic uncertainty,
00:50high housing costs and expensive childcare. Unless long-term support improves, they warn
00:56fertility rates are likely to stay low, raising questions about how future generations will
01:01support an ageing population.
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