The number of children being born in West Berkshire is falling.
The number of children being born in West Berkshire is on the decline.
Projections indicate that in the next 20 years, the share of children aged 0-5 will drop to 5.4% of the population. Currently, this age group makes up 6.1%, totalling 9,897 children.
Thatcham West, Newbury Greenham, and Newbury Clay Hill are the wards with the highest numbers of young children, while areas like Downlands and Basildon report the lowest.
In 2023, West Berkshire saw 1,435 live births, a decline from 1,744 a decade ago. In that same period, the General Fertility Rate (GFR) fell from 60.4 to 50.5 per 1,000 women of reproductive age.
Across the region, GFR varied significantly, with Chieveley and Cold Ash at 24.6 and Hungerford and Kintbury at 65.8.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
