Plunging Shropshire birth rate poses school place challenge for councils
There were fewer births in Shropshire last year than in any period over the last decade, new figures show.
New data from the ONS shows a continuing trend of fewer people giving birth across the nation – with England and Wales seeing the lowest number of registered births of any year since 2002.
The figures show that there were 2,567 births in Shropshire in 2022 – a fall from 2,639 the year before, and the lowest number of any year since 2013.
The trend has implications for the UK’s public finances and growth potential, experts have said.
In Shropshire, the highest annual births was recorded in 2016 when there were 2,947 over the course of the year, but figures have been falling since and have now reached their lowest level in a decade.
This drop has provided a challenge for Shropshire Council which has to estimate the number of school places required in the county in the future.
Councillor Nick Bardsley, deputy cabinet member for children and education at Shropshire Council, said an increase in housing developments in the area should go some way to offset the fall in births.
