4% of new mums from outside UK

NEARLY 70 births in Halton last year were to mothers who themselves were born outside the UK.

The Office For National Statistics (ONS) has released figures on parents’ country of birth for women who bore children last year.

Overall, the statistics show that there were 1,489 live births to mums who live in Runcorn and Widnes in 2015.

Of these, 67 women – or 4.5% – were themselves born outside the UK.

A total of 39 of the mothers were born in the European Union (EU), 31 of whom were from countries which joined the politico-economic union from 2004 onwards.

The 2004 enlargement included countries such as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The statistics also show that 13 of the Halton-based mothers were born in either the Middle East or Asia, nine were born in Africa, while five were born elsewhere in the world, which the ONS classify as including the Americas, the Caribbean, Oceania and Antarctica.

One of the mothers was born in a non-EU country in Europe.

Compared to the other three Cheshire local authorities last year, Halton boasted the fewest mothers who were themselves born outside the UK.

Cheshire East by comparison had 503 women, followed by 400 in Cheshire West & Chester, with 336 in Warrington.

Generally across England and Wales last year, more than a quarter of live births – 27.5% – were to women born outside the UK, the highest level on record.

According to the ONS, Poland was the most common country of birth for mothers born outside the UK, followed by Pakistan and India.

Pakistan meanwhile was the most common country of birth for fathers born outside the UK, followed by Poland and India.

Elizabeth McLaren from the ONS’s vital statistics outputs branch said: “The rising percentage of births to women born outside the UK is largely due to foreign born women making up an increasing share of the female population of childbearing age in England and Wales.

“Part of the reason for this is that migrants are more likely to be working-age adults rather than children or older people.”