Over a quarter of mothers giving birth aged 35 or older, figures show

More than a quarter of women who gave birth last year were aged 35 or older – with the number of mothers in this age group at the highest on record in 20 years.

Figures from Public Health Scotland also showed the number of women giving birth via Caesarean section were also at the highest since 2005-06.

Statistics on the 41,908 pregnancies that led to a single baby being born in 2024-25 showed that 9,013 were delivered by pre-planned surgery – almost double the total of 4,672 single babies born by elective Caesarean in 2005-06.

There were a further 9,216 babies born by emergency Caesarean section last year, the figures showed, meaning in total more than two fifths (43.5%) of all single babies were  born by Caesarean.

The report found that “while both elective and emergency Caesarean births have increased over time, rates of elective Caesarean have increased more rapidly”.

While levels of such births varied across health boards, NHS Grampian had the highest rate of Caesarean births – either planned or emergency – for the third year in a row, with almost half (49.7%) of babies there delivered this way in 2024-25.

The figures also showed that the “long-term trend” towards more older women having babies continued in 2024-25.

Public Health Scotland reported that, last year, 35.5% of pregnancies which resulted in a baby being delivered were in women aged 30 to 34.

It added “The continued upward trend in maternities for those aged 35 years or older now accounts for more than a quarter (25.5%) of all maternities for the first time in the 20-year reported period.

“Within this age group, the proportion of women giving birth aged 40 years or older has also been increasing. In 2024-25, 4.9% of maternities were to women aged 40 years or older.”

Of all pregnancies that led to delivery, 15,156 were in women aged 30 to 34, the figures showed, with a further 8,762 in women aged 35 to 39, and 2,103 in women aged 40 or above.

Meanwhile, almost half of all women who gave birth were cared for in just two heath boards last year, with the data showing 30.6% had care provided in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – Scotland’s largest health board – with another 17.1% looked after by NHS Lothian.

Public Health Scotland noted that the proportion of maternities in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area had “increased for a third consecutive year to the highest proportion in the reported 20-year period”.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We’re committed to high-quality maternity care which is as safe as possible for mothers and babies.

“Our quality improvement programme to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities has been relaunched. It supports frontline staff to make local changes, focusing on reducing stillbirth, neonatal mortality and severe postpartum haemorrhage and examine the rising rate of Caesarean sections.

“Boards have been asked to prioritise roll-out of continuity of care with a particular focus on women and families who experience poorer maternity outcomes.”