Nearly two-thirds of all pregnancies in England and Wales happen out of wedlock, according to data released today.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows 824,983 conceptions were recorded in the two countries in 2021 – the first increase in six years.
But 523,513 were out of wedlock or a registered partnership, while 301,470 were in one.
The ONS also recorded a rise in the number of older women in the UK becoming pregnant with conception rates for those over 40 rising to a record 17.3 per 1,000 women by 2021.
It comes amid a trend of couples focusing on their careers and getting married and having children later in life.
The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that 523,513 births occurred outside marriage or civil partnership, while 301,470 were born within one
In 2021 there were 824,983 conceptions for women of all ages in England and Wales, the first increase in the last six years
The figures also show that the conception rate for women aged 40 and older has continued to rise and is now at an all-time high of 17.3 conceptions per 1,000 women
Experts believe that the increase in older women becoming pregnant is because they are putting off having children to pursue careers until later in life, as well as advances in IVF and other fertility treatments.
The number of older mothers has skyrocketed in recent decades as more women focus on their careers and start families later.
But doctors often warn women not to leave it too late to have children. They emphasize that with age, fertility decreases and the risk of complications, including stillbirth, increases.
Experts estimate that women in their late 40s have only a one in 20 chance of getting pregnant because of their smaller supply of eggs, which are less likely to be fertilized.
The British Fertility Society previously warned that celebrities who have children in their 40s are giving women false hopes about late motherhood.
The demand for donor eggs, one of the most common methods for older women to have a baby, has skyrocketed in recent years.
Other options include IVF, if the woman still has some of her own eggs, or even intrauterine insemination – when sperm is placed directly into the uterus using a catheter. Fertility drugs and surgery are two other options.
Women aged 30 to 34 had the highest conception rate for the fifth year in a row, according to the ONS data, with an all-time high of 249,073 conceptions in 2021.
This age group also had the highest conception rate of 116.2 per 1,000 and the lowest rate of conceptions leading to abortion.
In 2021, approximately 13,131 conceptions were registered among teenage girls, slightly more than the 12,576 in 2020.
But it’s still less than half the number for this group a decade ago, from 30.9 conceptions per 1,000 women in 2011 to 13.2 per 1,000 in 2021.
Regionally, London experienced the biggest drop in conceptions in the past decade for women aged 15 to 44, a 20.9 per cent drop since 2009.
The West Midlands recorded the highest conception rate at 78.1 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, while the South West recorded the lowest at 64.6 conceptions per 1,000 women.
ONS figures also showed that the rate of conceptions leading to legal abortions reached an all-time high of 26.5 percent in 2021, up from 25.3 percent in 2020.
This percentage has generally been increasing for all age groups since 2015, the statistics bureau notes.
Women under the age of 16 remained the age group with the lowest number of conceptions and the highest rate of conceptions leading to abortion.
More than half (59.8 percent) of all conceptions for people under the age of 16 resulted in abortion.
ONS figures also showed that the rate of conceptions leading to legal abortions reached an all-time high of 26.5 percent in 2021, up from 25.3 percent in 2020
Regionally, London experienced the largest drop in conceptions in the last decade for women aged 15 to 44, a drop of 20.9 per cent since 2009. The West Midlands recorded the highest number of conceptions with 78.1 conceptions per 1,000 women in aged 15 to 44, while the South West recorded the smallest with 64.6 conceptions per 1,000 women
Fertilization rates for women under 18 and percentage change between 2011 and 2021 by local authorities, England and Wales, 2011 and 2021
While the conception rate for women of all ages in England and Wales has risen for the first time in six years, the ONS data also suggests this is the lowest overall conception rate since 2001, with 71.5 per 1,000 women in 2021.
It is also down 12.4 percent from a rate of 80.4 conceptions per 1,000 women in 2011.
The ONS said the Covid national lockdown and restrictions, which began in 2020 and gradually eased in 2021, may have had an impact on the behavior of some people living in different regions, and thus “could affect the total number of conceptions and conception rates affected’.
Siân Bradford, Senior Research Officer in Child Health at the ONS, said: ‘Today’s release provides further insight into conception rates during the coronavirus pandemic, when lockdowns and restrictions may have affected behaviour.
“We are seeing conception rates in England and Wales have increased for the first time since 2015, reaching an all-time high for women aged 30 to 34 and for women aged 40 and over.”
She added: “Interestingly, our data shows a higher conception rate among women who were not married or not in a civil partnership.
“Despite a higher abortion rate, women who were not married or in a civil partnership still have a higher rate of conceptions leading to motherhood.
“Further work will be needed to determine whether this marks a trend reversal.”