Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) 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, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
United Kingdom 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 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 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 (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in United Kingdom, 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% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 1.56 births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.49 births per woman, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 1.56 births per woman is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.49 births per woman, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
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
- 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
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.1389 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in United Kingdom?
- Fertility rate, total in United Kingdom 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?
- The highest recorded value was 2.44 births per woman in 1970.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.56 births per woman in 2022.
- How does United Kingdom rank for fertility rate, total?
- United Kingdom ranks 141st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- 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 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
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release