The number of babies born in the Cumberland Council area fell last year, new figures show – as the number of births in England and Wales hit the lowest figure since 1977.

Some experts have suggested economic uncertainty with the cost-of-living crisis, difficulties finding a partner, and more people deciding not to have children may be factors in the falling birth rate.

Office for National Statistics figures show there were 2,256 live births in the Cumberland Council area in 2023 – down from 2,316 the year before.

The total number of live births in England and Wales fell to the lowest since 1977, with 591,000 registered last year.

The fertility rate also fell to 1.44 live births per woman across the nations, reaching the lowest level since records began in 1938.

In the Cumberland Council area, the rate was an average of 1.45 births per woman in 2023.

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Dr Bassel Al Wattar, associate professor of reproductive medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, described the downward trend in birth rate as "worrying yet persistent".

He said it might be explained by the cost-of-living crisis, as well as a reduction in available NHS funding for fertility treatments such as IVF.