Good news at last for the older woman. The latest government statistics, released today show that for the first time women since records were taken, women in their early 30s have higher fertility rates than women in late 20s.

The report from the Office of National Statistics for 2004 found that fertility rates in general were on the increase in all age groups, but the trend towards older motherhood has continued. The fertility rate for women aged 30-34 was 99.4 live births per thousand women, an increase of 4.9 per cent on 2003, and the highest fertility rate in any age group since 1998. The average age of women giving birth remained at 29.4 years, while the average age for women at first birth increased to 27.5 years.

Birth rates in England and Wales are on the increase - they were up 2.3% on 2003. Also on the increase was the percentage of births outside marriage. In 2004, 42.2 per cent of births were outside marriage.

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