UK births fall to lowest level in nearly 50 years

The number of babies born in England and Wales dropped for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, reaching levels not seen since 1977. The Office for National Statistics recorded 585,000 live births, marking a decline of 10,000 from the previous year.

Stacey Waring, a 40-year-old nurse from Nottingham, decided against having children. She explains: "It's just not a very nice world to bring people into, and why would I consciously do that when I can choose not to?" Global uncertainty and worries about the modern world influenced her choice to remain childless.

The decline reflects a broader pattern. The fertility rate—the average number of children per woman—fell to just under 1.4 in 2025, down from 1.9 in 2010, when the most recent drop in birth rates began. Women are also delaying motherhood, with the average age of first birth now 29.6 years, up about two years from 2010.

Financial pressure plays a significant role in smaller family sizes. Georgina Tuffour, 35, a trainee nurse with three children aged 10, eight, and six, wants a larger family but struggles with rising costs. "My daughter wants to register for everything at school, my son loves to play the drums and that costs £50 a month," she says. "I've had to say to them that I cannot afford to sign all of them up and that breaks my heart, so imagine having another?"

Dr Paula Sheppard, an anthropologist at Oxford University, says the high cost of raising children delays family planning. People wait for "a lot more proverbial ducks in a row" before having more kids, she explains. "They're waiting for a better job, better salary, better house, better neighbourhood, and it takes longer to get those things in the current climate."

This trend extends far beyond the UK. Even countries with family-friendly policies, such as Nordic nations, have not reversed falling birth rates. Dr Sheppard describes the shift as cultural: families now "invest in fewer children rather than having lots of children with fewer things." She adds that lower birth rates can create a psychological cycle. "If you grow up in a society not seeing lots of babies, then it becomes harder for you to have babies [yourself]," she says.

One demographic change offers nuance to the overall decline. Births where at least one parent was born outside the UK rose to 40% in 2025, up from 30% in 2010.