England and Wales are facing a population crisis as fewer babies were born last year than in any year since the 1970s.
Families had an average of 2.4 children each year in the past, becoming a well-known phrase for the typical family in the UK.
There was even a long-running BBC sitcom called 2Point4 Children that ran from 1991 until December 30, 1999.
But new figures now show there were 591,072 live births last year – the lowest number since 1977.
This means the fertility rate has fallen to its lowest since records began in 1938. As a result, the average family has just 1.4 children.
The fertility rate dropped in every part of the country, with the largest fall seen in Wales and the North West of England.
However, one town in the UK has bucked this trend with a fertility rate of 2.01.
Luton in Bedfordshire had the highest fertility rate in the UK, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.
In 2023, the satirical website I Live Here asked people to nominate their towns as either the best or worst in the UK.
Luton ended up being the worst town in the country, according to the respondents.
The fertility data from the Office for National Statistics found that Cambridge had the lowest fertility rate last year, at 0.91.
Cambridge was followed by Brighton and Hove (0.98), Camden (1.00), Westminster (1.00) and Islington (1.01).
Behind Luton, Barking and Dagenham (2.00), Slough (1.93), Pendle(1.90), and Wolverhampton (1.87) made up the top five for the highest rates.
The UK’s fertility rate peaked in 1964 when it reached three children per family.
But since then it has rapidly dropped due to factors such as the increased cost of living and stagnating wages.
Official figures also show that the average age of mothers and fathers has generally been increasing over the past 50 years.
In 2023, the average age of mothers remained at 30.9 years, while it increased to 33.8 years for fathers.
