A new study has revealed the average age of new mums in the UK, and you may be surprised by the number.
With discussions around the best age to have a baby still seeming to dominate cross-generational conversations, CompareTheMarket’s latest study into the lives of parents in 2020 has revealed a number of interesting findings about the average age of mums in the UK.
The research highlights the societal changes in UK surrounding births and the age groups of mums and first time parents, and reveals that the average age of new mums is now 28.9 years old (as of 2018). This is the highest figure since the record started in 1938, when the mean age of women at the birth of their first child was 25.9 years old.
The data also shows that 1969-1971 saw the youngest first-time mothers at just 23.7 years old.
In 1938 mothers under the age of 30 accounted for 59.9% of the total births, whereas mothers aged 30 and over accounted for just 40.1%. However, in 2018, mothers under the age of 30 accounted for 44.3% of total births and mothers aged 30 and over accounted for 55.7%. 30 to 24 years old is now the largest group becoming parents in the UK.
Other findings reveal:
- There are 257% more women aged 45+ having children compared to 2000
- There are 59% fewer births to mothers under the age of 20 now, compared to the year 2000
Looking more closely at the generational differences and changing trends over the years, the study also delved into the age groups of new parents across the country, and compared this to the average salary in that area.
Those with higher salaries are seeming to wait until later in life to have children. The highest percentage of mothers aged 45+, for example, can be found in Kensington and Chelsea where the median salary is £45,982.
Meanwhile, The North of England, and Wales, tend to have the higher proportions of younger mothers. Both London and the South of England have a larger proportion of mothers giving birth later in life. Unsurprisingly, in the fast-paced work culture of the capital city, London had the largest proportion of mothers in the 30+ age groups.
Read More:
- Is there an ideal age-gap between kids?
- 10 questions to ask before visiting a fertility clinic
- London named one of the top breastfeeding-friendly cities in the UK
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