One in four babies born to migrant mothers as fertility rate hits highest level for 16 years

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.

Birth rates are rising as immigrants tend to have larger families

More than one in five births were to women who were born overseas, the Office for National Statistics said.

And the numbers of older mothers also rose.

Fertility rates among women over 40 went up by six per cent last year and have now doubled in the 15 years since 1992.

More than 12 in every 1,000 women over 40 gave birth last year and they had 25,350 babies, nearly double the 12,914 babies born to over 40s in 1997.

The rapid growth in numbers of older mothers reflects the increasing numbers of women who put careers first.

It has gone alongside an increase in the age at which women first marry, and a rise in cohabitation.

Overall the figures mean that each woman is now likely to have 1.91 babies in her life, the highest fertility rate since 1973.

Highest birth rates were in the West Midlands, where each woman can expect 2.04 children.