Britain’s birth rate plunges to 14 YEAR low – sparking fresh fears of a ‘demographic time-bomb’
Official figures also revealed fertility rates fell for every age group apart from the over 40s - where there were more births than at any point since 1949
THE birth rate has plunged to a 14 YEAR low –sparking fresh fears over a “demographic time-bomb”.
Official figures yesterday revealed there were 679,106 births in England and Wales in 2017, down 2.5 per cent and the lowest figure since 2006.
But the actual rate of children per women fell to 1.76 - the smallest since 2003. Fertility rates fell for every age group apart from the over 40s, where there were more births than at any point since 1949.
The shock figures came a day after experts warned Britain faced 50 years of austerity because health spending will have to double to cope with the dramatic rise in old-age pensioners.
Tory peer Ros Altmann told The Sun: “This is just a glimpse of the demographic disaster that awaits us.
"The Government needs to get a grip of this and develop policies that address pension costs, health costs and social care.”
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on Tuesday said the number of over 65s as a proportion of the working age population would rise from just below 30 per cent to nearly 50 per cent by the 2060s.
Age related spending is expected to take up nearly a third of the Government’s entire budget at this time.
Yesterday’s birth figures revealed foreign-born Mums accounted for 28.4 per cent of all births in 2017 – a new record and up from 28.2 per cent in 2016 and just 11.6 per cent in 1990.
The stillbirth rate fell to the lowest rate since current records began in 1927.
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Alistair McQueen, head of savings at insurance giant Aviva, said: “A falling birth rate has massive implications for the UK, especially when we have a growing number of retirees thanks to our increasing life expectancy.
“This news comes in the same week as the Office of Budget Responsibility has estimated that our ageing society and rising health bill could cost us an extra £172billion every year in fifty years’ time, if no action is taken."
He added: "If no action is taken we may face massive decisions in the years to come, like do we want a police force or a state pension?”