Birth statistics: Recent trends in England and Wales

In 1997, the number of live births in England and Wales fell 1.1% to 642,000, compared to the previous year. Of total births, 37% were born out of wedlock. The average age of women at first marriage rose to 27.2 years in 1996, from 22.8 in 1976; with the average age at first birth up over two years to 28.8. Of the 816,000 conceptions in 1996, 21% were aborted, up 1% on 1995.