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What is the fertility rate?
The fertility rate is the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime. It's a key measure for understanding population changes. The story highlights a fall to 1.39 children per woman in England and Wales, which is below the level needed to maintain a population without immigration.
Stories that explain this
Births in England and Wales lowest since 1977Related explainers
Why are births falling? What happened in 1977? Who are the ONS? Why does the Bank of England raise rates? Why do brokers rate 'buy'? What are business rates? How global interest rates connect Impact of interest ratesThe full catalogue
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