Between 1991 and 2021 there has been a clear trend of mothers having children later in life in the United Kingdom, with the average age of mothers in the increasing from 27.7 in 1991 to 30.9 by 2021.

In 2022 the average age of mothers giving birth to their first child in England and Wales was 29.2 years of age, followed by 31.5 years for the second child, 32.6 for the third child, and 33.6 for the fourth child.

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).

In England and Wales in 2022, the conception rate among women aged between 30 and 34 years was approximately 115.7 per 1,000 women, meaning this age group had the highest rate of conceptions that year. Slightly lower was the rate of conceptions among 25 to 29-year-olds at 113.7 conceptions per 1,000 women, while there were 80.4 conceptions per 1,000 women aged between 20 and 24 years of age. Trends in teenage conceptions The rate of teenage pregnancies has declined sharply in the last ten years. In 2008, the conception rate among teenagers was approximately 60 per 1,000; by 2021, this rate has dropped to 26.1 as displayed above. While the number of teenage pregnancies has dropped in England and Wales, the share of pregnant teenagers getting abortions has increased. The share of teenage conceptions ending in abortion increased from 40.1 percent in 2004 to 51.6 percent in 2021. Additionally, teenagers are the most likely age group in England and Wales to go through with an abortion after a pregnancy. Birth rate trends in the UK In 2021, the birth rate in the UK was 10.4 births per 1,000 population, which, except for 2020, was the lowest birth rate in the country since the start of the provided time period in 1938. The average age at which a mother gives birth in the UK has also increased alongside the drop in birth rate. In 2000, the average age of a mother giving birth in the UK was 28.5; by 2021, it was 30.9 years old. Furthermore, there were just 41 live births per woman aged 22 in 2022, compared with 71 live births for 22-year-olds in 2002 and 86 live births for women aged 22 in 1992.

Live births in the UK by area of usual residence of mother. The tables contain summary data for local authorities and local health boards (within Wales) including figures by age of mother.

This is a publication on maternity activity in English NHS hospitals. This report examines data relating to delivery and birth episodes in 2023-24, and the booking appointments for these deliveries. This annual publication covers the financial year ending March 2024. Data is included from both the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data warehouse and the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). HES contains records of all admissions, appointments and attendances for patients admitted to NHS hospitals in England. The HES data used in this publication are called 'delivery episodes'. The MSDS collects records of each stage of the maternity service care pathway in NHS-funded maternity services, and includes information not recorded in HES. The MSDS is a maturing, national-level dataset. In April 2019, the MSDS transitioned to a new version of the dataset. This version, MSDS v2.0, is an update that introduced a new structure and content - including clinical terminology, in order to meet current clinical practice and incorporate new requirements. It is designed to meet requirements that resulted from the National Maternity Review, which led to the publication of the Better Births report in February 2016. This is the fifth publication of data from MSDS v2.0 and data from 2019-20 onwards is not directly comparable to data from previous years. This publication shows the number of HES delivery episodes during the period, with a number of breakdowns including by method of onset of labour, delivery method and place of delivery. It also shows the number of MSDS deliveries recorded during the period, with a breakdown for the mother's smoking status at the booking appointment by age group. It also provides counts of live born term babies with breakdowns for the general condition of newborns (via Apgar scores), skin-to-skin contact and baby's first feed type - all immediately after birth. There is also data available in a separate file on breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks. For the first time information on 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' has been presented using annual data from the MSDS. This includes national data broken down by maternal age, ethnicity and deprivation. From 2025/2026, MSDS will become the official source of 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' information and will replace the historic 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' data which is to become retired. We are currently undergoing dual collection and reporting on a quarterly basis for 2024/25 to help users compare information from the two sources. We are working with data submitters to help reconcile any discrepancies at a local level before any close down activities begin. A link to the dual reporting in the SATOD publication series can be found in the links below. Information on how all measures are constructed can be found in the HES Metadata and MSDS Metadata files provided below. In this publication we have also included an interactive Power BI dashboard to enable users to explore key NHS Maternity Statistics measures. The purpose of this publication is to inform and support strategic and policy-led processes for the benefit of patient care. This report will also be of interest to researchers, journalists and members of the public interested in NHS hospital activity in England. Any feedback on this publication or dashboard can be provided to enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk, under the subject “NHS Maternity Statistics”.

Live births and stillbirths annual summary statistics, by sex, age of mother, whether within marriage or civil partnership, percentage of non-UK-born mothers, birth rates and births by month and mothers' area of usual residence.

This is a publication on maternity activity in English NHS hospitals. This report examines data relating to delivery and birth episodes in 2022-23, and the booking appointments for these deliveries. This annual publication covers the financial year ending March 2023. Data is included from both the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data warehouse and the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). HES contains records of all admissions, appointments and attendances for patients admitted to NHS hospitals in England. The HES data used in this publication are called 'delivery episodes'. The MSDS collects records of each stage of the maternity service care pathway in NHS-funded maternity services, and includes information not recorded in HES. The MSDS is a maturing, national-level dataset. In April 2019 the MSDS transitioned to a new version of the dataset. This version, MSDS v2.0, is an update that introduced a new structure and content - including clinical terminology, in order to meet current clinical practice and incorporate new requirements. It is designed to meet requirements that resulted from the National Maternity Review, which led to the publication of the Better Births report in February 2016. This is the fourth publication of data from MSDS v2.0 and data from 2019-20 onwards is not directly comparable to data from previous years. This publication shows the number of HES delivery episodes during the period, with a number of breakdowns including by method of onset of labour, delivery method and place of delivery. It also shows the number of MSDS deliveries recorded during the period, with breakdowns including the baby's first feed type, birthweight, place of birth, and breastfeeding activity; and the mothers' ethnicity and age at booking. There is also data available in a separate file on breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks. The count of Total Babies includes both live and still births, and previous changes to how Total Babies and Total Deliveries were calculated means that comparisons between 2019-20 MSDS data and later years should be made with care. Information on how all measures are constructed can be found in the HES Metadata and MSDS Metadata files provided below. In this publication we have also included an interactive Power BI dashboard to enable users to explore key NHS Maternity Statistics measures. The purpose of this publication is to inform and support strategic and policy-led processes for the benefit of patient care. This report will also be of interest to researchers, journalists and members of the public interested in NHS hospital activity in England. Any feedback on this publication or dashboard can be provided to enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk, under the subject “NHS Maternity Statistics”.

This statistical release makes available the most recent monthly data on NHS-funded maternity services in England, using data submitted to the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). This is the latest report from the newest version of the data set, MSDS.v.2, which has been in place since April 2019. The new data set was a significant change which added support for key policy initiatives such as continuity of carer, as well as increased flexibility through the introduction of new clinical coding. This was a major change, so data quality and coverage initially reduced from the levels seen in earlier publications. MSDS.v.2 data completeness improved over time, and we are looking at ways of supporting further improvements. This publication also includes the National Maternity Dashboard, which can be accessed via the link below. Data derived from SNOMED codes is used in some measures such as those for birthweight, and others will follow in later publications. SNOMED data is also included in some of the published Clinical Quality Improvement Metrics (CQIMs), where rules have been applied to ensure measure rates are calculated only where data quality is high enough. System suppliers are at different stages of development and delivery to trusts. In some cases, this has limited the aspects of data that can be submitted in the MSDS. To help Trusts understand to what extent they met the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS) Data Quality Criteria for Safety Action 2 Year 6, we have been producing a CNST Scorecard Dashboard showing trust performance against this criteria. This dashboard also includes data for a few non-CNST MSDS data quality priorities and this month we have introduced into the dashboard a new data quality measure on birth site code recording, in accordance with Maternity and Neonatal Programme priorities. This measure will not be assessed as part of the Maternity Incentive Scheme. The dashboard can be accessed via the link below. This month, MSDS metrics published to support Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle (SBLCB) monitoring have been updated to align with the contents of SBLCB version 3. As a result some SBLCB version 2 metrics have been removed from the Measures file and others have been renamed to align with SBLCB version 3 naming conventions. More information about the MSDS metrics published to support SBLCB is available in the accompanying Metadata file. The percentages presented in this report are based on rounded figures and therefore may not total to 100%.

Population figures over a 25-year period on births by age of mother for local authorities in England. 2022-based datasets are the latest projection.

United Kingdom UK: Prevalence of Anemia among Women of Reproductive Age: % of Women Aged 15-49 data was reported at 15.300 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 14.000 % for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Prevalence of Anemia among Women of Reproductive Age: % of Women Aged 15-49 data is updated yearly, averaging 10.900 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.100 % in 1990 and a record low of 9.400 % in 2003. United Kingdom UK: Prevalence of Anemia among Women of Reproductive Age: % of Women Aged 15-49 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age refers to the combined prevalence of both non-pregnant with haemoglobin levels below 12 g/dL and pregnant women with haemoglobin levels below 11 g/dL.; ; World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository/World Health Statistics (http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.1?lang=en).; Weighted average;

Each year, there are audits to assess maternal & foetal outcomes across the UK. In 2016-18, 217 women died during or up to six weeks after pregnancy, from causes associated with their pregnancy, among 2,235,159 women giving birth in the UK. 9.7 women per 100k died during pregnancy or up to six weeks after childbirth or the end of pregnancy. There was an increase in the overall maternal death rate in the UK between 2013-15 & 2016-18. Assessors judged that 29% of women who died had good care. However, improvements in care which may have made a difference to the outcome were identified for 51% of women who died. Birmingham has a higher than average maternal & foetal death rate. This dataset includes detailed information about the reasons pregnant women seek acute care, & their care pathways & outcomes. PIONEER geography: The West Midlands (WM) has a population of 5.9m & includes a diverse ethnic, socio-economic mix. There is a higher than average % of minority ethnic groups. WM has the youngest population in the UK with a higher than average birth rate. There are particularly high rates of physical inactivity, obesity, smoking & diabetes. 51.2% of babies born in Birmingham have at least one parent born outside of the UK, this compares with 34.7% for England. Each day >100k people are treated in hospital, see their GP or are cared for by the NHS. EHR: University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) is one of the largest NHS Trusts in England, providing direct acute services & specialist care across four hospital sites, with 2.2 million patient episodes per year, 2750 beds & 100 ITU beds. UHB runs a fully electronic healthcare record (EHR) (PICS; Birmingham Systems), a shared primary & secondary care record (Your Care Connected) & a patient portal “My Health”. Scope: Pregnant or post-partum women from 2015 onwards who attended A&E in Queen Elizabeth hospital. Longitudinal & individually linked, so that the preceding & subsequent health journey can be mapped & healthcare utilisation prior to & after admission understood. The dataset includes highly granular patient demographics (including gestation & postpartum period), co-morbidities taken from ICD-10 & SNOMED-CT codes. Serial, structured data pertaining to process of care (admissions, wards, practitioner changes & discharge outcomes), presenting complaints, physiology readings (temperature, blood pressure, NEWS2, SEWS, AVPU), referrals, all prescribed & administered treatments & all outcomes. Available supplementary data: More extensive data including granular serial physiology, bloods, conditions, interventions, treatments. Ambulance, 111, 999 data, synthetic data. Available supplementary support: Analytics, Model build, validation & refinement; A.I.; Data partner support for ETL (extract, transform & load) process, Clinical expertise, Patient & end-user access, Purchaser access, Regulatory requirements, Data-driven trials, “fast screen” services.

Percent of terminations with Down's syndrome by maternal age. This is based on data supplied by the National Down's Syndrome Cytogenetic Register (NDSCR). Screening for fetal anomaly is offered to all eligible pregnant women in England to check the baby for fetal anomalies, Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome. This publication supports further understanding of incidence rates of Down’s syndrome in England. Legacy unique identifier: P00444

Presents data on birth registrations in England and Wales by characteristics of the mother. This package contains live birth statistics by marital status, median interval between births, live births by age of mother and number of previous live-born children.

Legacy unique identifier: P00444

UK: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 9.000 Ratio in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 9.000 Ratio for 2014. UK: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 11.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.000 Ratio in 2005 and a record low of 9.000 Ratio in 2015. UK: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country would have throughout their reproductive years. In the United Kingdom in 1800, the average woman of childbearing age would have five children over the course of their lifetime. Over the next 35 years the fertility rate was quite sporadic, rising to over 5.5 in the 1810s and 1820s, then dropping to 4.9 by 1835. This was during and after the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 with the US, which was a time of increased industrialization, economic depression and high unemployment after the war. As things became more stable, and the 'Pax Britannica' (a period of relative, international peace and economic prosperity for the British Empire) came into full effect, the fertility rate plateaued until 1880, before dropping gradually until the First World War. The fertility rate then jumped from 2.6 to 3.1 children per woman between 1915 and 1920, as many men returned from the war. It then resumed it's previous trajectory in the interwar years, before increasing yet again after the war (albeit, for a much longer time than after WWI), in what is known as the 'Baby Boom'. Like the US, the Baby Boom lasted until around 1980, where it then fell to 1.7 children per woman, and it has remained around this number (between 1.66 and 1.87) since then.

Maternity Services Monthly Statistics January 2022, experimental statistics This is a report on NHS-funded maternity services in England for January 2022, using data submitted to the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). This is the latest report from the new version of the data set, MSDSv2. The new data set is a significant change which adds support for key policy initiatives such as personalised care plans and continuity of carer, as well as increased flexibility through the introduction of new clinical coding. This is a major change, so data quality and coverage has reduced from the levels seen in previous publications. The data derived from SNOMED codes is still being developed. We have included data on smoking at booking and birth weight and others such as BMI and alcohol consumption will follow in later publications. SNOMED data is also included in some of the published Clinical Quality Improvement Metrics (CQIMs) where rules have been applied to ensure rates are calculated only where data quality is high enough. System suppliers are at different stages of developing their new solution and delivering that to trusts. In some cases this has limited the aspects of data that could be submitted to NHS Digital. These statistics are classified as experimental and should be used with caution. Experimental statistics are new official statistics undergoing evaluation. More information about experimental statistics can be found on the UK Statistics Authority website. Updated versions of these files were added to this publication on 22 June 2022 to include a correction to the Ethnicity DQ outputs, as 32 providers had previously been incorrectly showing in the files as having met this criteria when they had not.

Annual statistics on conceptions to residents of England and Wales, with numbers and rates by age group including women aged under 18 years, inside and outside marriage or civil partnership, and area of usual residence.

This statistic displays the body mass index (BMI) distribution of pregnant women in England in 2018/19, by age group. In this period, **** percent of pregnant women aged 30 to 39 years were classed as normal weight.