Number of live births in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Number of live births was 673,275 births in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
673,275 births
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
6th
of 34 countries
All-time high
812,970 births
in 2012
All-time low
657,038 births
in 1977
Years of data
49
1974–2022
Number of live births in United Kingdom, 1974–2022
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 673,275 births for number of live births in 2022.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of live births in United Kingdom peaked at 812,970 births in 2012 and was at its lowest, 657,038 births, in 1977.
United Kingdom ranks 6th of 34 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 698,124 births | 657,038 births | 737,137 births | 6 |
| 1980s | 749,912 births | 718,999 births | 787,303 births | 10 |
| 1990s | 749,197 births | 699,976 births | 798,364 births | 10 |
| 2000s | 725,642 births | 668,777 births | 794,383 births | 10 |
| 2010s | 773,411 births | 712,680 births | 812,970 births | 10 |
| 2020s | 683,173 births | 673,275 births | 694,685 births | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More population data for United Kingdom
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.21 million people (2100)
- Population density 307.14 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.55 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 515,677 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.55 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.55 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.1% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.56 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of live births in United Kingdom?
- Number of live births in United Kingdom was 673,275 births in 2022, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of live births recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 812,970 births in 2012.
- What is the lowest number of live births recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 657,038 births in 1977.
- How does United Kingdom rank for number of live births?
- United Kingdom ranks 6th out of 34 countries with data for 2022.
- Is number of live births rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of live births. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total number of live births recorded in a given year.