More than 40% of babies in England – and over two thirds in London – had a parent who was born outside the country in 2024, new figures reveal, as statistics continue to underline the extreme pace of demographic change in Britain. The Mail has the story.
Official data reveal that non-UK-born women accounted for 33.9% of live births in England and Wales in 2024 – up from 31.8% the previous year and the highest on record. In 2009 the level was below a quarter.
Two-fifths of babies [in England] last year had at least one parent who was born in another country.
However, the proportion varied widely between 68% in London, 44.4% in Greater Manchester, 41.2% in the West Midlands and just 22.6% in the North East.
The ONS said there were 594,677 live births in England and Wales in 2024, which represented the first overall increase since 2021.
Births remain at historically low levels, with 2024 ranking as the third lowest total since 1977.
The rise was driven by the West Midlands, where births were up 3.38% and London where they were up 1.8%.
In contrast, numbers were stalled in the South East and down in the North East, South West, East Midlands, and Wales – which saw a 2% dip.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) breakdown also underlined the tendency for women to wait longer before having children.
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