Births and deaths registered in England and Wales 2017: new statistics released

New information from the Office for National Statistics provides facts about the number of births and deaths in England and Wales, as well as changing trends such as number of children and age of mother.

The information relates to the year 2017, as findings reveal:

BIRTHS

· There were 679,106 live births in England and Wales in 2017, a decrease of 2.5% from 2016 and the lowest number of live births since 2006

· In 2017, the total fertility rate (TFR) declined for the fifth consecutive year to 1.76 children per woman, from 1.81 in 2016

· Fertility rates decreased for every age group in 2017, except for women aged 40 years and over, where rates increased by 1.3% to 16.1 births per 1,000 women in that age group, reaching the highest level since 1949

· The average age of mothers in 2017 increased to 30.5 years, from 30.4 years in 2016 and 26.4 years in 1975

· In 2017, just over half of all live births were born to parents who were married or in a civil partnership (51.9%); however, 67.3% of live births born outside of marriage or civil partnership were to parents who lived together

· 28.4% of live births in 2017 were to mothers born outside the UK, following a gradual rise from 11.6% in 1990

· The stillbirth rate decreased to 4.2 per 1,000 total births in 2017, the lowest rate on record with figures available back to 1927; in the last decade since 2007 the stillbirth rate has decreased by 19.2%

Changing rates

Nicola Haines, Vital Statistics Outputs Branch, Office for National Statistics, said: “The stillbirth rate has dropped to a record low, declining each year since 2011. It is a step towards achieving a government ambition to reduce the rate of stillbirths by introducing new maternity strategies while ensuring the best and safest care. 

“Meanwhile, birth rates for live births have decreased for all women except those aged 40 years and over where the birth rate has continued to rise, following a trend seen for the last 40 years. Despite this, the proportion of women aged 40 and over having a baby still remains below that seen in the 1940s.”

Explore the birth summary tables.

DEATHS

• There were 533,253 deaths registered in England and Wales in 2017, a 1.6% increase from 2016 and the highest number registered annually since 2003

• Age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) decreased for both sexes in 2017; by 0.4% for males and 0.2% for females

• Both the number of deaths and age-specific mortality rates for people aged 90 and over increased in 2017, by 4.4% and 2.9% respectively; most notably for females

• Age-standardised mortality rates for cancers, respiratory diseases and circulatory diseases continued to decrease in 2017, whilst rates for mental and behavioural disorders and diseases of the nervous system increased by 3.6% and 7.0% respectively

• The City of Kingston upon Hull replaced Blackpool as the local authority with the highest age-standardised mortality rate in England in 2017, increasing by 7.1% from 2016

• The infant mortality rate increased for the first time in 5 years to 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births; the neonatal rate also increased by 3.6% compared to 2016, whilst the postneonatal rate remained the same

An ageing population

Vasita Patel, Vital Statistics Outputs Branch, Office for National Statistics, said: “The number of deaths increased in 2017 to the highest level since 2003. The population is both growing and ageing - when you take those things into account, mortality rates decreased slightly from 2016 to 2017, for both males and females. 

Mortality rates for cancers, respiratory diseases and circulatory diseases have also decreased. However, rates increased for mental and behavioural disorders, such as dementia, and diseases of the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. This could be partly linked to a better understanding of these conditions, which may have led to better identification and diagnoses.

Meanwhile, the number of infant deaths decreased in 2017, but because the number of live births decreased more significantly, the infant mortality rate rose for the first time in five years.”

Explore the death summary tables.

(image copyright Auckland Museum)