57.3% of babies in England breastfed at six to eight weeks, the highest since figures began in 2015-16
Final figures for 2025 to 2026 also show health visitors reaching more families at the eight-week and one-year checks, though rates still vary widely between councils.
By Daily Oracles News Team1 min read
More than half of babies in England were still being breastfed at six to eight weeks old in 2025 to 2026, the highest share since national data collection began in 2015 to 2016.
Final figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, published on Tuesday, put the rate at 57.3% for 2025 to 2026, up from 55.6% in 2024 to 2025. Of the 70 councils with valid figures for both years, 51 recorded an increase, 18 were stable and one fell.
The gap between areas remains wide. Where a rate could be calculated, the highest council reached 83.4% and the lowest 33.6%.
Health visitors also review babies at six to eight weeks. Separate figures published the same day show more of those reviews, and later checks, taking place on time:
- 86.5% of 6-to-8-week reviews were done within eight weeks, up from 85.1%. Yorkshire and the Humber had the lowest regional rate at 77.3% and the North East the highest at 91.9%.
- 90.4% of children had their 12-month review by 15 months, up from 88.4%.
- 81.3% had their review at two to two and a half years, up from 80.8%. Of those, 95.0% completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, up from 93.9%.
Council figures ranged widely, from 10.1% to 98.8% for the 6-to-8-week check. The office notes that some councils target reviews at children who need more support, which can lower their coverage figures.
The data is collected voluntarily and does not cover every council, so England and regional totals include only areas whose returns passed validation. The office intends to move the measures to the Community Services Data Set once its data quality is good enough.
