Births to mothers from Europe double in decade

Almost half a million births in England and Wales between 2005 and 2014 were to mothers who had been born elsewhere in the EU
Almost half a million births in England and Wales between 2005 and 2014 were to mothers who had been born elsewhere in the EU
KIDSTOCK/CORBIS

Births to European Union mothers living in England and Wales have more than doubled in the decade since eight east European states joined the bloc in 2004, according to official figures.

The increase coincided with the largest wave of immigration into Britain as hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived to seek work.

Almost half a million births in England and Wales between 2005 and 2014 were to mothers who had been born elsewhere in the EU. The figure was 25,000 in 2005 and increased every year to just over 64,000 two years ago.

More than 470,000 births to mothers born in European Union countries were recorded in the nine-year period, out of a total of 6.99 million in England and Wales, according to a letter