By james art County Durham’s fertility rate fell last year, new figures show – as births across England and Wales hit a record low.
Some experts suggest that economic uncertainty with the cost of living crisis, difficulty finding a partner and more people choosing not to have children may be factors in the declining birth rate.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were an average of 1.38 live births per woman in County Durham in 2023 – down from 1.41 the year before.
The fertility rate in England and Wales fell to its lowest level since records began in 1938 at 1.44.
The fertility rate is defined as the average number of living children that a group of women would have if they had age-specific fertility rates throughout their childbearing lives.
Professor Melinda Mills, Professor of Demography and Population Health at the University of Oxford, said: “People are actively delaying or giving up having children because of issues related to difficulty finding a partner, housing, economic insecurity, staying in education longer and especially women entering and remaining in the workforce.”
She added: “Some people are also actively choosing to remain childless.
“However, there is evidence that postponing childbearing until later ages, when partners are less able to conceive, also increases involuntary childlessness.”
The biggest falls in total fertility rates were in Wales (1.46 to 1.39) and the North West (1.53 to 1.46).
London, the North East and the West Midlands saw the smallest decline.
Dr Bassel Al Watar, associate professor of reproductive medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, described the downward trend in birth rates as “worrying but steady”.
He said this could be explained by the cost of living crisis, as well as the reduction in NHS funding available for infertility treatments such as IVF.
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The ONS said the fertility rate fell most sharply for women in their 20s.
Meanwhile, the total number of live births in England and Wales also fell, with 591,072 recorded last year, the lowest figure since 1977.
There were 4,498 in County Durham in 2023 – down from 4,505 the year before.