Fertility rate, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Fertility rate, total was 1.56 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.56 births per woman
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
141st
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.44 births per woman
in 1970
All-time low
1.56 births per woman
in 2022
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 1.56 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is down 14.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 2.44 births per woman in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1.56 births per woman, in 2022.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 141st out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.44 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 2.41 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 2.2 births per woman | -8.7% |
| 1973 | 2.04 births per woman | -7.3% |
| 1974 | 1.92 births per woman | -5.9% |
| 1975 | 1.81 births per woman | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 1.74 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1977 | 1.69 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 1.75 births per woman | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 1.86 births per woman | +6.3% |
| 1980 | 1.9 births per woman | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 1.82 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1982 | 1.78 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 1.77 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 1.77 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.79 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 1.78 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 1.81 births per woman | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 1.82 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 1.79 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 1.83 births per woman | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 1.82 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 1.79 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 1.76 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 1.74 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 1.71 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 1.73 births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 1.72 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 1.71 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 1.68 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 1.64 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 1.63 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 1.63 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.7 births per woman | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 1.75 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 1.76 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.82 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 1.86 births per woman | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 1.91 births per woman | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 1.89 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 1.92 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.91 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 1.92 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.83 births per woman | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 1.81 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 1.8 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.79 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.74 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 1.68 births per woman | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 1.63 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 1.57 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 1.58 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.56 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.56 births per woman | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.99 births per woman | 1.69 births per woman | 2.44 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.8 births per woman | 1.77 births per woman | 1.9 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.75 births per woman | 1.68 births per woman | 1.83 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.76 births per woman | 1.63 births per woman | 1.91 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.8 births per woman | 1.63 births per woman | 1.92 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.57 births per woman | 1.56 births per woman | 1.58 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 138 Iceland 1.59 births per woman compare
- 139 Antigua and Barbuda 1.58 births per woman compare
- 140 Maldives 1.57 births per woman compare
- 141 New Zealand 1.56 births per woman compare
- 143 Azerbaijan 1.55 births per woman compare
- 143 Malaysia 1.55 births per woman compare
More population data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0706 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 71,685 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.2666 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.169 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.184 (2100)
- Population density 307.14 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 3.21 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.184 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.2667 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -0.5769 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Fertility rate, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 1.56 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.44 births per woman in 1970.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.56 births per woman in 2022.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for fertility rate, total?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 141st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release