For the first time in recorded history, the majority of newborns in England and Wales in 2021 were born out of wedlock.

Of the 625,000 births recorded in the year, only 304,000, or 48.6%—were born to couples in a legal marriage or civil partnership. The proportion of births occurring outside marriage had been rising for decades.

The statistics also show a rise in the number of births to women over the age of 40. That category accounted for nearly 5% of all births—and more than twice the number of births to teen mothers.