The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has projected that women in England and Wales will continue to have babies later in life and have smaller families compared to previous generations. According to the projections, girls turning 18 in 2025 are expected to have an average of one child per woman by the age of 35. This is a shift from their mothers’ generation, where women had an average of one child by the time they were 31.
The analysis conducted by the ONS for women born in 1978, their mothers’ generation born in 1951, and the projected daughters’ generation born in 2007, shows a trend of later childbearing. Women born in 1978 had on average one child by the age of 31, while their mothers achieved this by 26. The projection indicates that girls born in 2007 will likely have one child by the time they reach 35.
Kerry Gadsdon from the ONS suggests that the trend of later childbearing may be influenced by factors such as financial pressures and the timing of life events like partnership formation and homeownership occurring later in life. The data reveals a decline in the average family size over the past century, with women born in 1934 and 1935 having the largest average family size of 2.42 children.
Moreover, recent data from the ONS shows a continuous decrease in the fertility rate in England and Wales, reaching its lowest on record. In 2023, only 591,072 babies were born – the lowest number since 1977. Research indicates that pregnancy at older ages carries a higher risk of complications during pregnancy and labour, highlighting the importance of considering maternal age in family planning decisions. Additionally, studies suggest that women in their late 30s may face more challenges in conceiving compared to younger age groups
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