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Couples chose family over marriage
 England and Wales: Lowest birth rate since 1983 |
Women are having children later in life and becoming less likely to be married when they give birth, according to official statistics.
A report from the Office for National Statistics also shows that the birth rate for 1998 in England and Wales was the lowest since 1983.
There were 635,901 live births in 1998, compared with 643,095 in 1997 - a fall of 1%.
The average age of women at the birth of their child has gradually increased over the last decade from 27.2 years in 1988 to 28.9 years in 1998.
Fertility in women in their 30s and early 40s has risen, says the report, while that of women in their 20s has fallen.
Babies born outside of wedlock accounted for 38% of all births in 1998, compared with 37% the year before - and 26% in 1988.
Opting not to marry
The figures suggest that more couples are opting not to marry before they have children.
Joint registration to parents living at the same address has increased gradually over the past decade.
But the number of births registered solely by the mother and births registered jointly by parents living at different addresses has remained the same.
Only 2.2% of these births took place at home, the statistics showed, with 97% of births happening in NHS hospitals.
There were an estimated 800,400 conceptions in England and Wales in 1997 - a 2% decrease on 1996.
Almost four out of five of these conceptions led to maternity - a figure which has remained constant in recent years.
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 | 05 Nov 99 | UK |
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| 28 Sep 99 | Health |
| Death rates lower in wedlock |
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| 20 Sep 99 | Talking Point |
| Is marriage an out-dated institution? |
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