Live births in Wales by data source

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Next update expected:August 2026

Updates

19th December 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Accredited official statistics
Data provider 1
Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Data source 1
No specific source from data provider
Data provider 2
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
Data source 2
National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD)
Data provider 3
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
Data source 3
Maternity Indicators Dataset (MIDS)
Time period covered
January 2011 to December 2024

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Number of live births as calculated by Welsh Government from 2 data sources and for birth registration data by Office for National Statistics.

These statistics are derived from two data sources: the Maternity Indicators dataset (MI ds) and the National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD). Both data sources are provided to the Welsh Government by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).

The MI ds combines records from a mother’s initial assessment with a child’s birth record.

The NCCHD consists of anonymised records for all children born, resident or treated in Wales and born after 1987. The database brings together data from local Community Child Health System databases which are held by local health boards (LHBs) and its main function is to provide an online record of a child’s health and care from birth to leaving school age.

The statistics used in this release are based on the data recorded at birth and shortly after birth.

Birth registration statistics are routinely produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and should be used as the main source for the number of births in Wales.

Analysing data from the NCCHD provides additional information on new-born children which is not available through the ONS’ official measure on the number of births. Data from both sources is very closely aligned, but the ONS measure allows for more accurate comparisons between UK countries.

Full details of every data item available in the Maternity Indicators dataset are available through the NHS Wales Data Dictionary.

Data collection or calculation

Data from the Maternity Indicators dataset only includes initial assessment data where the initial assessment and birth both occurred in the same health board, in Wales only.

Data should include all hospital births and some home births; however, due to the way data is recorded, we are unable to distinguish between home and hospital births in some health boards. Births to Welsh resident mothers who gave birth in England or in any other country outside of Wales are not included in the data.

Data for each calendar year refers to when the baby was born for both birth and initial assessment statistics. Initial assessments may have taken place in the previous year but would be counted in the year in which the birth occurred. This ensures data throughout a single pregnancy is recorded in the same year.

The NCCHD includes records of all children born in, resident in or receiving services in their relevant local health boards. This means the database contains some information for some children not currently residing in Wales; however, unless otherwise stated, all statistics produced from data sourced from this database is filtered to only include those children born in Wales. It also means that data is available for Welsh resident mothers who gave birth in England.

Statistical quality

There are no specific statistical quality issues in relation to this data.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales