One in four babies born to immigrant mothers in England and Wales as fertility rate hits highest level in 16 years

The number of babies born in England and Wales has reached the highest level for more than 16 years on the back of rising immigration. There were 691,013 births in 2007, a three per cent rise over the year before and the highest level since 1991. The new baby boom is closely linked to high levels of immigration over recent years as foreign families tend to have more children. More than one in five births were to women who were born overseas, the Office for National Statistics said.