British village has higher birth rate than world's most densely populated countries

Cambourne in Cambridgeshire produced 24.1 births per 1,000 women in 2009 - almost double the UK average of 12.1.

The village has just 7,600 residents but has a higher fertility rate than India, China, Indonesia, Brazil and the USA.

Only a handful of countries including Afghanistan and Iraq produced more children per 1,000 women, according to statistics from Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group.

Experts believe Cambourne's rising birth rate stems from the village's unusually high concentration of young couples.

Cambourne, which lies in a commuter belt seven miles outside Cambridge, was founded in 1999.

Since its creation, the village's population has grown year on year. Figures show it produced 115 babies in 2004, climbing to 129 in 2005. There were 144 births in 2006, 186 the following year, and 210 between April 1 2008 and March 31 this year.

The village's fertility rate per 1,000 women - known as the 'crude birth rate' - has been consistently higher than other UK villages of the same size for the past five years.

In 2004, the figure was 22.2 - far higher than that of nearby Cottenham, which has a similar population but produced only 13.2 babies. By 2008/9, Cambourne's birth rate had soared to 24.1, more than twice the county average of 11.9 and well above the national average of 12.1.

Even the UK's two largest cities, London and Birmingham, fell behind with just 15.8 and 15 per 1,000 women respectively.

The baby boom means the village is growing faster than India, the world's fastest-expanding country with a population of 1,338,612,968 - more than 150,000 times Cambourne's size. According to 2009 figures published by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), India had a crude birth rate of only 21.67.

The worldwide average is 19.95.

But Cambourne's growth has put considerable pressure on its infrastructure.

Among the immediate problems is education. A third primary school is set to open next month because of the mounting competition for places.

The world's Top Ten highest birth rates outside African countries in 2009. (Figures from CIA).

1. Afghanistan - 45.46.
2. Yemen - 42.14
3. Gaza Strip - 36.93
4. Iraq - 30.1
5. Kiribati - 30.2
6. Laos - 33.94
7. Marshall Islands - 30.7
8. Oman - 34.79
9. Sao Tome and Principe - 38.54
10. Saudi Arabia - 28.55

The world's Top Ten lowest birth rates:

1. Hong Kong - 7.42
2. Japan - 7.64
3. Italy - 8.18
4. Germany - 8.18
5. Guernsey - 8.46
6. Jersey - 8.63
7. Singapore - 8.82
8. Macau - 8.88
9. South Korea - 8.93
10. Slovenia - 8.97

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