A paper examined trends in fertility across cohorts born between 1935 and 1975. The decline in fertility was shown to have two distinct phases first, a fall in third and higher-order births (affecting cohorts born 1935-45); and second, a delay in childbearing and a rise in childlessness (affecting cohorts born since 1945). The delay in childbearing and rise in childlessness could not all be explained by the rise in female participation in higher education: there had been increasing polarization in fertility and employment by education.
Source: Anita Ratcliffe and Sarah Smith, Fertility and Women s Education in the UK: A cohort analysis, Working Paper 06/165, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol (0117 954 6943)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Dec
A report said that assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), could help governments combat the problem of ageing populations if incorporated into population policies.
Source: Jonathan Grant, Stijn Hoorens, Federico Gallo and Jonathan Cave, Should ART be Part of a Population Policy Mix? A preliminary assessment of the demographic and economic impact of assisted reproductive technologies, RAND Corporation (order@rand.org)
Links: Report | Summary | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jun
The provisional fertility rate in 2005 in England and Wales was 1.80 children per woman - an increase of 1 per cent since 2004, and the highest figure since 1992. Live births in England and Wales also increased in 2005, for the fourth successive year.
Source: Press release 18 May 2006, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: ONS press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-May
There were more than 54,000 births in Scotland in 2005 - the highest number since 1999.
Source: 2005 Preliminary Return, General Register Office for Scotland (0131 314 4243)
Links: Report | GROS press release | SE press release
Date: 2006-Mar
An article gave provisional estimated numbers and rates of conceptions for women usually resident in England and Wales in 2004. In 2004 there were an estimated 826,000 conceptions in England and Wales, compared to 807,000 in 2003 - an increase of 2.4 per cent. There was a 1 per cent fall in the under-18 rate, and a 6 per cent fall in the under-16 rate.
Source: 'Conceptions in England and Wales, 2004', Health Statistics Quarterly 29, Spring 2006, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article | ONS press release | FPA press release | Brook press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Feb
