UK birth rate 2021| ��ƽ��

Crude birth rate in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 2021

Characteristic	Crude birth rate (live births per 1,000 population)
2021	10.4
2020	10.2
2019	10.7
2018	11
2017	11.4
2016	11.8
2015	11.9
2014	12
2013	12.1
2012	12.8
2011	12.8
2010	12.9
2009	12.7
2008	12.8
2007	12.6
2006	12.3
2005	12
2004	11.9
2003	11.7
2002	11.3
2001	11.3
2000	11.5
1999	11.9
1998	12.3
1997	12.6
1996	12.6
1995	12.6
1994	13
1993	13.2
1992	13.6
1991	13.8
1990	13.9
1989	13.6
1988	13.8
1987	13.7
1986	13.3
1985	13.3
1984	12.9
1983	12.8
1982	12.8
1981	13
1980	13.4
1979	13.1
1978	12.2
1977	11.7
1976	12
1975	12.4
1974	13.1
1973	13.9
1972	14.9
1971	16.1
1970	16.2
1969	16.6
1968	17.2
1967	17.5
1966	17.9
1965	18.3
1964	18.8
1963	18.5
1962	18.3
1961	17.9
1960	17.5
1959	16.9
1958	16.9
1957	16.6
1956	16.1
1955	15.5
1954	15.7
1953	15.9
1952	15.7
1951	15.8
1950	16.2
1949	17.1
1948	18.2
1947	21.2
1946	20.3
1945	18.1
1944	20.1
1943	18.5
1942	17.4
1941	15.5
1940	15.2
1939	15.2
1938	15.5

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Release date

February 2023

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Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

1938 to 2021

Citation formats

In 2021 the live birth rate of the United Kingdom fell to 10.4 births per 1,000 population, the lowest it had been during this time period. The UK's birth rate has been declining steadily since 2010 when the birth rate was 12.9 births per 1,000 population. After 1938, the year with the highest birth rate in the UK was 1947, when the crude birth rate was 21.2 births per 1,000 population.

Under two children per mother in 2021

The most recent crude live birth rate for this statistic is based on the 694,685 births, that occurred in 2021 as well as the mid-year population estimate of 67 million for the United Kingdom. It has a close relation to the fertility rate which estimates the average number of children women are expected to have in their lifetime, which was 1.53 in this reporting year. Among the constituent countries of the UK, Northern Ireland had the highest birth rate at 11.6, followed by England at 10.5, Wales at 9.3, and Scotland at 8.7.

International comparisons

The UK is not alone in seeing its birth and fertility rates decline dramatically in recent decades. Across the globe, fertility rates have fallen noticeably since the 1960s, with the fertility rate for Asia, Europe, and the Americas being below two in 2021. As of this year, the global fertility rate was 2.31, and was by far the highest in Africa, which had a fertility rate of 4.12, although this too has fallen from a high of 6.72 in the late 1960s. A reduction in infant mortality, as well as better access to contraception, are factors that have typically influenced declining fertility rates recently.