Child and maternal health profiles, statistical commentary: March 2025 update

Question 1

What’s new

Accepted Answer

The following indicators have been updated in the child and maternal health profile:

stillbirths
infant and child mortality
hospital admissions
children in care
children eligible for free school meals

Data has been updated for upper tier local authorities, regions and England. Data has also been added, where possible, for lower tier local authorities, integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS England regions.

Question 2

Introduction

Accepted Answer

This commentary focuses on trends and inequalities in hospital admissions for children and young people, stillbirths, infant mortality and mortality in children aged 1 to 17.

The Department for Education has published separate commentaries for the following indicators:

These commentaries should be consulted for further information about the interpretation of this data.

Question 3

Main findings

Accepted Answer

The stillbirth, infant mortality, neonatal mortality and post-neonatal mortality rates in England have remained relatively stable in recent years. In 2021 to 2023, there was a slight increase in the neonatal and infant mortality rate, but this increase was not statistically significant. However, the child mortality rate has increased in the latest 2 time periods and the increase in 2021 to 2023 was statistically significant.

There are inequalities in infant mortality across England. Infant mortality rates were higher than the average for England in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West, while in the East of England, London, the South East and the South West, rates were lower. In 2021 to 2023, the infant mortality rate in the West Midlands (5.9 per 1,000 live births) was double the rate in the South West (2.9 per 1,000).

Overall emergency hospital admissions, admissions for self-harm and substance misuse admissions have all decreased in recent years. In the financial year 2023 to 2024, there was a small increase in emergency hospital admissions among those aged under 1.

Question 4

Detailed findings

Accepted Answer

Stillbirth rate

A stillbirth is defined as a baby born after 24 or more weeks completed gestation and which did not, at any time, breathe or show signs of life. The rate is the number of stillbirths for every 1,000 births (live and stillbirths).

Up until 2018 to 2020, the stillbirth rate in England was steadily reducing, but it has since remained relatively stable. In 2021 to 2023, the stillbirth rate was 4.0 per 1,000 births, significantly lower than the rate at the start of the time series (5.6 per 1,000 in 2001 to 2003).

For some time periods in the early 2000s, the male stillbirth rate was higher than the female rate, but this has not been the case for the last 10 time periods (see figure 1). In 2021 to 2023, the rate for both sexes was 4.0 per 1,000 births.

Figure 1: stillbirth rate, England, 2001 to 2003 up to 2021 to 2023

Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

In 2021 to 2023, the West Midlands had a higher stillbirth rate (4.5 per 1,000 births) than England as a whole, while the South West (3.1 per 1,000) and South East (3.6 per 1,000) had lower rates (see figure 2).

Figure 2: stillbirth rate, regions, 2021 to 2023

Source: OHID, based on ONS data.

Neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality rates

The neonatal mortality rate indicates the number of deaths in the first 28 days of life, for every 1,000 live births. The neonatal mortality rate decreased to 2.7 per 1,000 live births in 2013 to 2015, but since then there has been a gradual increase (see figure 3). The rate in 2021 to 2023 (3.0 per 1,000) was still significantly lower than the rate in 2001 to 2003 (3.6 per 1,000).

The post-neonatal mortality rate indicates the number of deaths for every 1,000 live births of infants who live for at least 28 days but who die before the age of 1. The post-neonatal mortality rate has remained stable at 1.1 per 1,000 live births since 2014 to 2016 (see figure 3). At the start of the time series in 2001 to 2003, the rate was 1.7 per 1,000.

The infant mortality rate is the number of all deaths under 1 year of age, for every 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate in England increased for the first time since 2013 to 2015 in 2021 to 2023 (see figure 3). It was 3.9 deaths per 1,000 live births for 8 consecutive time periods, but increased to 4.1 per 1,000 in 2021 to 2023, though this change was not statistically significant.

Figure 3: infant, neonatal and post-neonatal mortality rate, England, 2001 to 2003 up to 2021 to 2023

Source: OHID, based on ONS data.

Breakdowns by sex are available for these mortality indicators. Male rates have been consistently higher than female rates for neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality rates across the last 20 years. In 2021 to 2023, the male infant mortality rate was 4.5 per 1,000 live births, compared with 3.6 for the female rate.

There are regional inequalities for these indicators. In 2021 to 2023, the infant mortality rate in the West Midlands (5.9 per 1,000 live births) was double the rate in the South West (2.9 per 1,000) (see figure 4). Infant mortality rates were higher than the average for England in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West, while in the East of England, London, the South East and the South West, rates were lower.

This regional pattern was similar for neonatal and post-neonatal mortality, although for the former, the North West was not significantly differently from the England average, and for the latter, the West Midlands was not significantly different from the England average.

Figure 4: infant mortality rate, regions, 2021 to 2023

Source: OHID, based on ONS data.

Child mortality (1 to 17 years)

The child mortality rate is an age-standardised rate of death due to all causes, for those aged 1 to 17 years, per 100,000 population.

The child mortality rate has fallen over the last 20 years: it fell from 18.0 deaths per 100,000 in 2001 to 2003, to 10.0 per 100,000 in 2019 to 2021 (see figure 5). It has however increased in the last 2 time periods to 11.2 per 100,000 in 2021 to 2023 and the latest increase was statistically significant.

The mortality rate for boys was higher than that for girls in every time period over the last 20 years.

Figure 5: child mortality rate, England, 2001 to 2003 up to 2021 to 2023

Source: OHID, based on ONS data.

In 2021 to 2023, the North East had the highest rate of child mortality (14.6 per 100,000) (see figure 6). The West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West also had rates which were higher than the England average. The South West region had the lowest rate of child mortality in 2021 to 2023 (9.3 per 100,000).

Figure 6: child mortality rate, regions, 2021 to 2023

Source: OHID, based on ONS data.

Emergency hospital admissions (0 to 4 years)

Emergency hospital admissions (0 to 4 years) decreased from 158 per 1,000 in the financial year 2022 to 2023, to 151 per 1,000 in 2023 to 2024 (see figure 7). The male rate has been consistently higher than the female rate.

There is large regional variation, with the highest rates in the north and west of England. In the financial year 2023 to 2024, the rate was 194 per 1,000 in the North East, compared with 109 per 1,000 in London.

The rate of emergency hospital admissions for children under 1 increased from 375 per 1,000 in the financial year 2022 to 2023, to 387 per 1,000 in 2023 to 2024 (see figure 7).

Figure 7: emergency hospital admission rate, children aged 0 to 4, children under 1 and children aged 1 to 4, England, financial years ending March 2011 to financial year ending March 2024