Number of babies born to foreign mothers hit record high last year

Nearly a third of babies born in England and Wales last year were to foreign mothers, the highest since records began four decades ago. 

Official figures released this week showed up to 75 per cent of births were among women born outside of the UK in the most ethnically-diverse parts of England – the top nine of which were in London.  

Most of the foreign mothers were born in Pakistan and Romania – around one in 11 – or Poland – around one in 12, according to the Office for National Statistics. 

The data also revealed 613,936 babies were born in the two home nations in 2020 – a 4.1 per cent drop on 2019 and the lowest figure since 2002.

Meanwhile, the total fertility rate – the average number of children each woman has – reached a record-low and birth rates dropped among all age groups, including over-35s.

The average UK-born women had 1.5 children last year – down 4.5 per cent from 2019 – compared to 2 among women born outside the UK – an increase of 0.5 per cent on the previous year.

And 34.8 per cent of all children born in England and Wales had either one or both parents born outside the UK. 

Non-UK mothers were most likely to be from Pakistan (9.2 per cent), Romania (8.7 per cent) or Poland (8.1 per cent). 

And among couples born outside the UK, the mothers and fathers were most likely to be from Pakistan or Romania. 

Nine parts of London had the highest rates of babies born to foreign mothers, with Brent (75.8 per cent), Harrow (74.8 per cent) and Newham (73.8 per cent) having the highest proportions.

These parts of the region were followed by Westminster (72.8 per cent), Ealing (70.9 per cent) and Hounslow (70.7 per cent).

Completing the top nine is Kensington and Chelsea (69.9 per cent), Barking and Dagenham (68.2 per cent) and Redbridge (66.2 per cent).