LONDON — The birthrate in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level since records began 80 years ago, with 11 babies born per 1,000 women in 2018 — 46 percent below the peak reached in 1947 during the postwar baby boom.

The most recent figures published by the Office of National Statistics, show there were 657,076 live births in 2018, a 3.2 percent decrease from the previous year and a 10 percent decrease since the most recent peak in 2012.

The steady drop is being driven by falling fertility rates, an aging population and conception challenges resulting from women trying to become pregnant at an older age, the statistical office said. Women are more likely to spend a longer time in education and in their careers before starting a family.

Birthrates have fallen in almost every age group, holding steady only in the category of women over the age of 40. The average age of first-time mothers increased from 26.7 years in 1978 to 30.6 in 2018.