Over a quarter, 27 per cent, of the children born in the UK in 2014 were to mothers born outside of the UK, increasing half a per cent on 2013. The increase is part of a long-term trend: in 1969 the number of children born to non-British born mothers was just 11 per cent (see graph below), and according to the latest data from the Office for National Stastistics the fertility rate of British born mothers continued to fall.
According to today’s figures, in the London borough of Newham, over two thirds, 76.7 per cent, of babies were born to women who were born outside of the UK in 2014.
As in 2013, Newham has the highest percentage of children in any local authority born to mothers not born in Briton. Torfaen, in South Wales, has the lowest percentage at 3.2 per cent.
Poland has remained the most common country of birth for non-UK born mothers between 2010 and 2014, followed by Pakistan and India. However for fathers, Pakistan has been the most common country of birth between 2008 and 2014, followed by Poland and India.
Whilst the number of people flooding into the UK is increasing by 40 per cent year-on-year, change from within, namely the significantly higher fatality rates of non-British born mothers, is likely to have an equally dramatic effect on the demographic make up of the UK.
The number of live births in England and Wales to British born women decreased by 1.1 per cent in 2014, compared with 2013. Meanwhile live births to women born outside of the UK rose by 1.4 per cent.
Total fertility rate (TFR) depends on the size of the female population of childbearing age compared to the number of births. The TFR for UK born women has fallen to 1.76 from 1.77 in 2013, but more surprisingly, the TFR for non-UK born women has also fallen slightly to 2.09 from 2.13 in 2013.
Between 2007 and 2012, the TFR of non-British born women consistently rose, but the TFR for the UK overall fell because the decrease was proportionally larger among British born women.