Older mums to spark baby boom

THE number of babies born each year in Greater Manchester is set to rise in the next two decades, with older mothers set to drive the trend.

Last year, 34,353 babies were born in Greater Manchester, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. It predicts numbers born each year are going to steadily rise over the next two decades.

In 2043, the number of babies born in the area is predicted to be 38,789, a 13 per cent increase on 2019. The rise is likely to be driven by more babies being born to women in their 30s and 40s.

The number of babies born to women in their 30s is predicted to increase by 17pc between 2019 and 2043 – from 16,941 births to 19,857.

In comparison, the number of babies expected to be born to women in their 20s is likely to rise more slowly, with 15,181 born in 2019 rising by 10pc to a predicted 16,700 in 2043.

There may be a boom in babies born to women in their 40s, however, with the predicted number in 2043 up 33pc compared to 2019. It’s a much smaller number of births, but that would be a rise from 1,209 in 2019 to 1,603 in 2043.

For younger women, birth rates have been falling and the ONS expects this to continue. There were 1,022 babies born to women aged under 20 in 2019, and the expectation is that by 2043 the number will have fallen to 630. The increase in the number of births in Greater Manchester is likely to be bigger than the rise seen across England. The 649,788 children expected to be born across England in 2043 is 10pc higher than the 591,997 born in 2019.

Compared to England, Greater Manchester is going to see faster growth in the number of births among those in their 20s, 30s and 40s. England is set to see the number of babies born each year to women in their 20s rise 8pc from 253,211 births in 2019 to 272,557 births in 2043.

The number of babies born to women in their 30s is expected to rise by 13pc, while births to those in their 40s should rise by a fifth (22pc) over the period.