Older mothers - facts and figures
Are there really more "older mothers" than ever before or has this been exaggerated by the press?
Statistics show that there are now more first-time mothers in the 30-34 age group than in the 25-29 age group. Additionally, there is an almost 50% increase from ten years ago in the number of women over forty who are now having babies. The rate for women aged 40 and over increased fastest, by over six per cent from 11.5 per 1,000 women aged 40-44 in 2005, to 12.2 in 2006.
The number of live births in England and Wales to mothers aged 40 plus was 12,103 in 1996 and 23,706 in 2006.
Read ONS news release, 28/02/08 (PDF)
Why are there now more older mums?
Research suggest that the trend towards later maternity is strongest among women with better educational qualifications, with some postponing child rearing to pursue their careers. In addition, some women who have already reared a family wish to have another child with a new partner, and some they simply didn't meet the 'right' partner until later in life.
Most up-to-date statistics - 2006
In 2006 there were 669,601 live births in England and Wales. 110,509 were to women aged 35-39, 22,512 to women aged 40-44 and 1,123 to women 45-49. This can be broken down further:
40: 9,303
41: 6,191
42: 3,769
43: 2,069
44: 1,180
45: 585
46: 286
47: 129
48: 77
49: 46
50 and over: 71
There were 194 stillbirths in the age group 40-44, 5 stillbirths to woman aged 45, 4 to women aged 46, 3 to women aged 47, and none to women aged 48 and 49. This made a total of 12 stillbirths in the age group 45-49.
In 2006 the mean age for giving birth was 29.2 years, whereas in 2001 it was 28.6 years of age.
* Extracted from statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in December 2007.
More 2006 statistics for England and Wales
1,194 women aged 45-49 gave birth in 2006, compared with 587 in 1996.
Total fertility in England and Wales has risen from 1.63 children per woman in 2001, to 1.87 in 2006, which is the highest level since 1980. Within those figures, there are now 1.7 births per UK-born woman and 2.5 births per foreign-born woman.
2004
According to a detailed analysis of birth statistics for England and Wales [published 15/12/05 by the Office For National Statistics], it was noted that in 2004, for the first time, the fertility rate of women aged 30-34 overtook that of women aged 25-29. Although fertility rates have increased in all age groups, the trend towards later childbearing has continued.
The fertility rate among women aged 30-34 was 99.4 live births per thousand women, an increase of 4.9 per cent on 2003, and the highest fertility rate in any age group since 1998.
In 2004 there were 716,000 live births in the UK. The average (mean) age of women giving birth was 29.5 years, as opposed to 28.4 in 1994.
The average age for women at first birth increased to 27.5 years, as opposed to 26.5 in 1994. Compared with 2003 this is an increase of 2.9 per cent, and the highest number of births since 1997.
In 2004 there were 102,228 live births to women aged 35-39, 19,884 to women aged 40-44 and 909 to women of 45 and over.
In the age group 45 and over, the breakdown by age of those giving birth is as follows:
45: 457
46: 212
47: 107
48: 63
49: 22
50 and over: 48
1994
In 1994 there were 63,061 live births to women aged 35-39, 10,241 to women aged 40-44, and 488 to women aged 45 and over.
1961
In 1961 there were 77,500 live births to women aged 35-39 and 23,300 to women aged 40-44. In the 1960s and 1970s, the baby boom suddenly came to an end in many countries, and fertility fell unexpectedly fast, as shown in subsequent years.
IVF and older mothers
In 2004, 504 women aged between 40 and 45 gave birth as a result of using their own eggs in IVF treatment, compared to 121 in 1994. Last year a total of 10,175 children were born as a result of IVF treatment in the UK.
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United States of America.
In March 2005, a 'snapshot' into US birth trends by the magazine 'Pediatrics' showed that the birth rate rose for women aged 25-44 years and dropped three percent for teens and women in their early to mid-20s. It also revealed that the birth rate for women aged 30 to 44 was the highest in thirty years.
Births rose four percent amongst women in their early to mid-30s, six percent for women in their late 30s, and five percent for women in their early to mid-40s. That brings the rates to about 95, 44, and 9 births per 1,000 people, respectively.
Additionally, in an increase of six percent since 2002, nearly twenty-eight percent of all births in 2003 were carried out by Caesarean section.
Canada
A 2004 report by 'Statistics Canada', published on 31st July 2006, confirmed the trend elsewhere in the world towards late motherhood:-
"... The average age of women giving birth in Canada was 29.7 years in 2004, a slight increase from 29.6 in 2003. This continues a long-established upward trend."
The change in the age distribution of mothers is particularly striking compared with one generation earlier. In 2004, women aged 24 and under made up 20.6% of all mothers, half of the proportion of 40.7% in 1979.
The bulk of the births now occur to women aged 25 to 34, who accounted for 62.1% of all births in 2004 compared with 54.7% in 1979.
Births to older mothers, those aged 35 and older, were almost four times as frequent as a generation earlier. These mothers accounted for 17.2% of births in 2004, nearly four times the proportion of only 4.6% a quarter century earlier.
Migration may also be driving the trend to older motherhood. The average age of mothers who gave birth in the province or territory in which they themselves were born was 29.0 years in 2004, compared with 30.1 for Canadian migrants, and 31.1 for international immigrants. Analysts suggest that women may be delaying marriage and childbirth while settling in a new area and re-establishing social networks.
Australia: average age of first-time mother now 30.7 years
A report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, "Births, Australia 2005", showed the average age of new mothers in 2005 was 30.7 years - 3.4 years older than mothers in 1985.
The fertility rate for women aged 30-34 rose 56 per cent. For women 35-39 and 40-44, the birth rate more than doubled over the past 25 years.
Women aged 30-34 had 117.5 babies per 1000 women in 2005, up from 114.4 the year before and the highest rate since 1964.
Women aged 35-39 had 60.6 babies per 1000 women in 2005, up from 57.4 in 2004 - a higher rate than for mums aged 20-24.
The number of Australian women aged 40 - 44 giving birth represented 10.6 per 1000 births, up from 6.7 in 1994 and 4.3 in 1984, making the fertility of women aged 40-44 at its highest since 1971.
Last year there were 18 births to women aged 50 and over.
Average age of fathers now 32.9 years
Australian fathers were an average of 32.9 years old - 2.8 years older than dads with newborns in 1985.
New Zealand: average age of first time mother now 30.7 years.
In 2006, around 12,500 babies were born to women aged 35 and over, including around 100 babies to women aged over 45. The average age for a first time mother is now 30.7 years, having risen for some time.
Germany: lowest birth rate in Europe
According to data from Germany's Office for Federal Statistics, last year there were 686,000 births, which is half as many as in the early 1960s.
Germany already had Europe's lowest birth rate, but in 2004 the number of births fell by a further 2.8%, whilst the mortality rate rose by 1.5%. In the former East Germany the birth rate is exceptionally low and the East German city of Chemnitz is thought to have the lowest birth rate in the world.
In 2006 the German cabinet approved proposals for a new state allowance to encourage people to have children.
In 2004 Germany had 8.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants, compared with 12 in Britain, 12.7 in France and 15.2 in Ireland, which has Europe's highest birth rate.
Italy: Italian women wait the longest before having children...
According to a report into long-term trends in late and very late fertility, published in March 2007 by the Bocconi University Social Research Center, Italian woman wait longer to have children than women in any other developed country. The study found that nearly 5 of every 100 infants in Italy is born to a mother older than 40.
Francesco Billari, the study's author, said that more women in Italy are postponing pregnancy to further their careers and achieve financial stability.
Slovenia: postponing birth to a later age...
On average, mothers were 28 years old when they gave birth to their first child. In 2006 the mean age of mother at first childbirth increased by 0.2 of a year. In 2006, only about a quarter (23.9%) of women giving birth for the first time were under 25 years old, whilst 6.1% were over 35 years old. In 2006 the mean age of mother at childbirth was 29.7 years, 1.7 years more than that of the first-time mother.
Fertility Rates - Europe
- Germany: 8.6
- Latvia: 8.8
- Poland:9.3
- Hungary: 9.4
- Greece: 9.4
- Czech Republic: 9.6
- Austria: 9.7
- Italy: 9.7
- Spain: 10.6
- UK: 12.0
- France: 12.7
- Ireland : 15.2
Source: Eurostat
India: number of first-time mums over 40 increasing...
“I see many more 40-year-old mothers-to-be in my practice,” says Dr Indira Hinduja, gynaecologist and obstetrician at the Jaslok hospital. “A few years back there was 0nly the odd case of late pregnancy. But off late, it has almost become a regular thing.” Agrees Dr CN Purandare, obstetrician and gynaecologist: “With the marriage age being pushed further, more women above 35 and even 40 are planning and going through with late pregnancies.” Read article in full » [will open in new window]
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STATISTICS' SOURCES:
Office for National Statistics - download latest
birth statistics [N.B. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader]
Statistics Canada