Number of babies born to unmarried parents hits record in England, Wales

Almost half of babies born in England and Wales in 2015 were out of wedlock, the highest rate ever recorded, the Official for National Statistics (ONS) said Wednesday.

A total of 697,852 births were recorded during the review year, with less than 48 percent born outside of marriage or civil partnerships, a rise of 0.4 percent over the figure in 2014.

The report also shows the average age of mothers giving birth in 2015, at 30.3 years, was also the highest on record, and compared with an average age of 28.2 years in 1996 and 27.4 years in 1986.

More than a quarter of all babies born in England and Wales last year, 27.5 percent, were to mothers who had been born outside Britain, the highest level on record, added ONS.

An ONS spokeswoman said: "In most developed countries, women have been increasingly delaying childbearing to later in life, which has resulted in rising fertility rates among older women. This may be due to a number of factors such as increased female participation in higher education and the labor force, the increasing importance of a career, the rising costs of childbearing, labor market uncertainty and housing factors."

"Rising fertility rates at older ages have affected the average age of mothers, which has been increasing since 1975, reaching 30.3 years in 2015," she added.

ONS figures also showed that fertility rates can vary considerably between areas of Britain.

ONS also reported Wednesday that 529,655 deaths were registered in England and Wales in 2015, an increase of 5.6 percent compared with 2014.

The total number of deaths in the year was the largest annual percentage increase since the 6.3 percent rise recorded between 1967 and 1968. Endit