In 2008, there were 708,711 babies born in England and Wales – nearly 19,000 more than in 2007. The number of births had increased each year since a dip in 2001. Recent increases in births had been driven by increasing fertility rates among women born in the United Kingdom, and the increasing population of non-UK born women of childbearing age.
Source: Birth Statistics: Review of the National Statistician on births and patterns of family building in England and Wales, 2008, Series FM1 37, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | ONS press release | Population Trends report
Date: 2009-Dec
An article examined attempts by the government to increase the proportion of unmarried fathers who were named on birth certificates, and used them to illustrate a number of dominant assumptions regarding fatherhood.
Source: Sally Sheldon, 'From "absent objects of blame" to "fathers who want to take responsibility": reforming birth registration law', Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, Volume 31 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Dec
The government began consultation on new rules aimed at ensuring that wherever possible births were registered by both parents. It said that it wanted to promote parental responsibility from the very beginning by requiring both parents to register.
Source: The Registration of Births (Parents Not Married And Not Acting Together) Regulations 2010, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Consultation document | DCSF press release
Date: 2009-Nov
Statistics were published on conceptions in 2007 for women usually resident in England and Wales.
Source: Conception Statistics: Conceptions for women resident in England and Wales, 2007, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Oct
An article examined whether the rise in births since 2001 had been driven by births to women born outside the United Kingdom. The study found that two main factors had driven recent increases: increasing fertility rates among UK-born women; and the increasing number of non-UK-born women (who had higher fertility on average) in the population.
Source: Nicola Tromans, Julie Jefferies and Eva Natamba, 'Have women born outside the UK driven the rise in UK births since 2001?', Population Trends 136, Summer 2009, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Article | ONS press release
Date: 2009-Jun
An article examined lifelong childlessness, which had been a prominent aspect of fertility declines in the 1980s and 1990s. Single women, and women who were co-habiting with their partner, were found to be more likely to remain childless throughout their lives than those who were married.
Source: Martina Portanti and Simon Whitworth, 'A comparison of the characteristics of childless women and mothers in the ONS Longitudinal Study', Population Trends 136, Summer 2009, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Article | ONS press release
Date: 2009-Jun
In 2008, for women residents in England and Wales, the total number of abortions was 195,296, compared with 198,499 in 2007 – a fall of 1.6 per cent. The age-standardized abortion rate was 18.2 per 1,000 resident women aged 15-44, compared with 18.6 in 2007.
Source: Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2008, Department of Health
Links: Report | DH press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-May
Provisional figures showed that the under-18 conception rate increased from 40.9 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-17 in 2006 to 41.9 in 2007 – the first rise since 2002.
Source: 'Conceptions in England and Wales, 2007', Health Statistics Quarterly 41, Spring 2009, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article | ONS press release | DH press release | Conservative Party press release | BBC report | Telegraph report | Pulse report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Feb
