Jersey has seen another big dip in the number of babies born, to the lowest number in almost half a century.

There were 799 births in 2023. That is 41 fewer than in 2022, which at 840 has been the lowest in 27 years.

The last time the number of babies born in Jersey in a calendar year fell below 800 was in 1976.

The decline means the fertility rate has dipped to 1.29, much lower than the rate of 2 needed for a sustainable population.

However, the island's high net inward migration helps with the negative impact of this.

The Births and Breastfeeding Profile for 2023 shows that more than a third of mothers of newborns were aged 35 years and over and two thirds of babies were born to women aged 30-39.   The proportion of younger mums continues to fall.

The percentage of women in Jersey giving birth via C-section is also at its highest recorded point, with 42% of children being born that way.

Public Health data shows a correlation between the number of C-sections and the age of mother.

Regarding breastfeeding, the number of babies being breastfed at six to eight weeks has dipped slightly from 67% in 2022 to 63% in 2023.

82% of mothers choose to breastfeed their children once discharged from the hospital.