Conception rate by age in England and Wales 2017

In England and Wales in 2017, the conception rate among women aged between 30 and 34 years was approximately 122 per 1,000 women, meaning this age group has the highest rate of conceptions. Slightly lower was the rate of conceptions among 25 to 29 year olds at 120.6 conceptions per 1,000 women, while there were 33 conceptions per 1,000 women aged under 20 years of age.

Trends in teenage conceptions

The rate of teenage pregnancies has declined sharply in the last ten years. In 2008, the conception rate among teenagers was approximately 60 per 1,000, by 2017 this rate has dropped to 33 as displayed above. While the number of teenage pregnancies has dropped in England and Wales, the share of pregnant teenagers getting abortions has increased. The share of teenage conceptions ending in abortion has increased from 42 percent to 47 percent in the last 10 years. Teenagers are the most likely age group in England and Wales to go through an abortion after a pregnancy.

Birth rate trends in the UK

In 2018, the birth rate in the UK was 11 births per 1,000 population, the lowest birth rate in the country since 2002. The average age at which a mother gives birth in the UK has also increased alongside the drop in birth rate. In 2000, the average age of a mother giving birth in the UK was 28.5, by 2018 it was 30.6.