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New data from the ONS shows a continuing decline in people giving birth – with England and Wales seeing the lowest number registered of any year since at least 2002.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) there were 1,260 live births in the Test Valley last year – a fall from 1,313 in 2021.
Over the past decade, 2016 saw the highest number of births in the area with 1,386. At the other end of the scale, 2020 had the fewest – with 1,185 babies born.
Across England and Wales, last year had the lowest number registered of any year since at least 2002, with a continuing trend of people giving birth.
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The ONS’ data set shows births peaked in 2012, with the number declining over the following decade. The coronavirus pandemic does not appear to have altered birth rates significantly in either direction.
The ONS’ head of health analysis, James Tucker, said: “The annual number of births in England and Wales continues its recent decline, with 2022 recording the lowest number of live births seen for two decades.”
“Almost a third of all those births were to non-UK born women. This is the highest proportion of live births to non-UK born women seen since our records began, with India now the most common country of birth for non-UK born parents.”
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In Test Valley, 275 births were to non-UK-born women, accounting for 21.8 per cent of births in the area, an increase from 18.2 per cent the previous year.
Last year, India overtook Romania for England and Wales as the most common country of birth for non-UK born mothers – and replaced Pakistan for non-UK born fathers.
Researcher from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, Nuni Jorgensen, said: “The number of children born to non-UK-born mothers has remained pretty stable over the last few years, but the number of births to UK-born women has been falling very rapidly.
“This inevitably means that the share of births to non-UK-born women goes up.”
