Spotlight
Birth characteristics in England and Wales: 2021
What's in the bulletin?
- In 2021, the average age of mothers who gave birth in England and Wales increased to 30.9 years, while the average age of fathers remained at 33.7 years.
- The highest stillbirth rate in 2021 remained in women aged 40 years and over at 5.9 stillbirths per 1,000 births, followed by women aged under 20 years at 5.0 stillbirths per 1,000 births.
- Babies from the Black ethnic group continued to have the highest stillbirth rate at 6.9 stillbirths per 1,000 births in 2021.
Births in England and Wales: 2021
What's in the bulletin?
- There were 624,828 live births in England and Wales in 2021, an increase of 1.8% from 613,936 in 2020, but still below the 2019 figure (640,370); 2021 remains in line with the long-term trend of decreasing live births seen before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- The total fertility rate (TFR) increased to 1.61 children per woman in 2021 from 1.58 in 2020; the first time TFR has risen since 2012.
- Fertility rates increased overall; however, younger age groups saw declining fertility rates while older age groups saw fertility rates increase.
Baby names in England and Wales
Most popular first names for baby boys and girls in 2021 using birth registration data.
Datasets related to Live births
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Baby names for boys in England and Wales
Rank and count of the top names for baby boys, changes in rank since the previous year and breakdown by country, region and month of birth.
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Baby names for girls in England and Wales
Rank and count of the top names for baby girls, changes in rank since the previous year and breakdown by country, region and month of birth.
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Parents’ country of birth
Annual data on live births in England and Wales by parents' country of birth.
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Births in England and Wales: summary tables
Live births and stillbirths annual summary statistics, by sex, age of mother, whether inside marriage or civil partnership, percentage of non-UK-born mothers, birth rates and births by mothers' area of usual residence.
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Births by parents’ characteristics
Annual live births in England and Wales by age of mother and father, type of registration, median interval between births, number of previous live-born children and National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC). Commentary for both publications is covered in the Birth characteristics in England and Wales: 2020 bulletin.
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Birth characteristics
Annual live births in England and Wales by sex, birthweight, gestational age, ethnicity and month, maternities by place of birth and with multiple births, and stillbirths by age of parents and calendar quarter.
Publications related to Live births
Statistical bulletins
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Birth characteristics in England and Wales: 2021
Annual live births in England and Wales by sex, birthweight, gestational age, ethnicity and month, maternities by place of birth and with multiple births, and stillbirths by age of parents and calendar quarter.
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Childbearing for women born in different years, England and Wales: 2020
The changing composition of families over time, comparing the fertility of women of the same age and the number of children they have had.
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Births by parents’ country of birth, England and Wales: 2021
Annual statistics on live births including countries of birth for non-UK-born mothers and fathers.
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Baby names in England and Wales: 2021
Most popular first names for baby boys and girls in 2021 using birth registration data.
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Births in England and Wales: 2021
Live births, stillbirths and the intensity of childbearing, measured by the total fertility rate.
Articles
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Births in England and Wales explained
An article to explain the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on 2020 births data and the differences between birth registration and birth notification data.
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Baby names: where you live could shape what you call your baby
Analysis shows that names given to babies differ by local authority within England and Wales.
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Childbearing by socio-economic status and country of birth of mother
This article explores the relationship between the socio-economic status of women and their fertility and, in particular, examines how this differs for UK born women compared with non-UK born women. How is a woman’s socio-economic status associated with her childbearing outcomes?
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How popular is your birthday?
A peak in births in late September show that more babies are conceived in the weeks leading up to and days after Christmas than at any other time of the year.
Methodology related to Live births
Looking for local statistics?
A handy guide to let you know where to find local statistics.