New 2023 data released

The Live Births in England and Wales series was updated on 28 October 2024 with the release of 2023 data. With this release, the small areas dataset has moved to 2021-based geographies. These include 2021 lower-layer super output areas and 2023 wards.

The datasets included in this release are:

• Live births in England and Wales : birth rates down to local authority areas
• live births by sex and characteristics of the mother available down to region level
• live births by characteristics of the mother and the father
• live births in England and Wales down to local authority level
• live births in England and Wales for small geographic areas - wards, lower and middle layer super output areas

Background information

Birth statistics are derived from information recorded when births are registered as part of civil registration, a legal requirement. Figures represent births which occurred in England and Wales in the calendar year, but include a small number of late registrations from the previous year.