Pregnancy in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts

Pregnancy is a physiological condition; it is the duration in which the fetus develops inside the womb or the uterus. Pregnancy normally lasts for 40 weeks, or around nine months, as measured from the last menstrual period to delivery. In the United Kingdom, birth rates have fallen year-on-year in the last decade, and in 2021 the live birth rate amounted to 10.7 births per 1,000 population. This measures as a total of over 694 thousand live births overall in the UK in 2021.

Trends in teenage pregnancies

In developed countries, teenage pregnancies are considered somewhat of a controversial social issue. In recent decades, the UK had high conception rates among those aged under 18 years. The British government launched a teenage pregnancy strategy in 1999 intending to halve teenage pregnancy numbers in England. The intervention has seen results, in England and Wales in 2021, there were around 43 thousand teenage conceptions, this number had been slowly and steadily declining since 2007, when there were over 106.3 thousand teenage pregnancies. This change also coincides with data that suggests women are delaying pregnancy to older ages. Fertility rates for women in the age groups under 30 years have generally been decreasing in recent years, while the mean age for a woman giving birth in the UK has risen.

Maternal health

The number of conceptions does not lead to an equal number of childbirths, this number is reduced by pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirths, miscarriages, and abortions. Laws and policies surrounding abortion are the same in England, Wales, and Scotland, under the law abortion is legally allowed up to 24 weeks. However, in Northern Ireland, the abortion laws are more restrictive, sometimes forcing women to travel to other countries in the UK to seek access to abortion. In 2021, there were around 214 thousand abortions performed in England and Wales. In comparison in only 87 pregnancies were terminated in Northern Ireland in the same period. During pregnancy, maternal health is of utmost importance for positive and healthy outcomes. Depending on the employment status and eligibility, pregnant women in the UK are entitled to statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance. In 2021/22, the UK government spent over 2.6 billion British pounds on statutory maternity pay.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 20, 2023

Key insights

Fertility rate in the UK 2021
1.56
Age group with the most births in England 2021/22
30-34 years
Number of deliveries carried out in NHS hospitals in England 2021/22
578,562
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Pregnancy
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Conception rates in the United Kingdom
Contraception in the United Kingdom (UK)
Contraception in the United Kingdom (UK)
Births in the United Kingdom (UK)
Births in the United Kingdom (UK)
Hospitals
Hospitals

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