Women in England and Wales are likely to continue having babies later in life, and having smaller families, than previous generations, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) projections.The ONS says girls turning 18 in 2025 are likely to have an average of one child per woman by the age of 35 – unlike their mothers’ generation, which had an average of one child per woman by the time they were 31. They are also projected to have an average of 1.52 children during their lifetimes – down from 1.95 children for their mothers and 2.04 children for their grandmothers.The new analysis marks the first time the ONS has explored how fertility levels could change in future generations.It looks at fertility patterns for women born in 1978 alongside patterns for their mothers’ generation – assumed to be those born in 1951 – and projections for their daughters’ generation – considered to be those born in 2007, who turn 18 this year.It shows those born in 1978 on average have one child by the time they reach 31. For their mothers’ generation, this occurred by the age of 26.By projecting this trend forwards into the future, the ONS found that women born in 2007 are likely to have an average of one child by the time they are 35.For girls born in 2025, this is projected to occur by the time they are 36.Kerry Gadsdon, from the ONS, said the trend may be driven by “financial pressures and the timing of other life events such as partnership formation and moving into your own home generally happening later”. The data also shows the largest average family size for women born in England and Wales over the past 100 year …
