New UK Breastfeeding Statistics Are Here… And There’s Some Really Positive News! 🤱

For years we’ve heard that the UK has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world.

Whilst there is still a lot of work to do, the latest Infant Feeding Survey for England (2024), published in June 2026, gives us something to celebrate.

Breastfeeding rates are improving.

Families are breastfeeding for longer.

More babies are receiving breastmilk than ever before.

But perhaps the most important message is this:

Parents want to breastfeed. They simply need the right support to continue for as long as they choose.

So what do the latest figures tell us?

Breastfeeding begins for most babies

The latest survey found that:

86% of mothers started breastfeeding.

This means more than 8 out of every 10 babies receive breastmilk after birth.

This is an increase from 81% in the previous national survey in 2010, showing that more families are choosing to begin their breastfeeding journey.

At 2 weeks

By two weeks of age:

80% of babies are still receiving some breastmilk.

Those first couple of weeks can be some of the hardest.

Parents are recovering from birth, learning to feed, coping with sleep deprivation and adjusting to life with a newborn. Yet four out of five babies are still receiving breastmilk at this stage.

At 6 weeks

At six weeks:

71% of babies are still receiving some breastmilk.

Even more encouraging is that:

47% of babies are still being exclusively breastfed, meaning they have received only breastmilk with no infant formula, food or other drinks.

At 6 months

This is where the newest research really changes the picture.

The previous UK Infant Feeding Survey (2010) reported that only around one-third of babies were receiving breastmilk at six months.

The new 2024 survey found:

✨ 58% of babies are still receiving breastmilk at six months.

That’s well over half of all babies.

Even more encouraging:

26% of babies are exclusively breastfed for the full six months, exactly as recommended by the World Health Organization.

This is a huge improvement compared with previous national data.

What about breastfeeding after one year?

Although the Infant Feeding Survey focused mainly on the first six months, we know that many families continue breastfeeding well into toddlerhood.

The World Health Organization recommends:

✔ Exclusive breastfeeding for around the first six months.

✔ Continuing breastfeeding alongside solid foods for two years and beyond, for as long as mother and child wish.

Breastfeeding after one year isn’t unusual.

It’s biologically normal.

Whether that’s 12 months, 2 years or even longer, every breastfeeding journey looks different.

The statistic that really stood out to me

Despite these encouraging improvements…

Around 72% of mothers who stopped breastfeeding before six months said they would have liked to continue for longer.

The most common reasons included:

• Pain during feeding
• Difficulties with positioning and attachment
• Concerns about milk supply
• Worries that their baby wasn’t getting enough milk

In other words…

Most parents aren’t stopping because they wanted to.

They’re stopping because breastfeeding became harder than they expected and they didn’t receive enough support when they needed it most. In the early days and weeks when mainstream staff support is few and far bet

Why this matters

As both an Independent Midwife and an IBCLC Lactation Consultant, this is exactly why I do what I do.

Breastfeeding is natural.

Learning to breastfeed is a skill.

Like any new skill, it sometimes needs time, reassurance and the right support.

Sometimes one small adjustment to positioning, latch, pumping or understanding your baby’s behaviour can completely change your feeding journey.

The new national statistics are encouraging.

More families than ever are breastfeeding.

My hope is that with continued investment in evidence-based support, continuity of care and skilled lactation professionals, even more families will be able to reach their own feeding goals.

Because every family deserves the opportunity to make informed choices and receive compassionate, non-judgemental support—whatever their feeding journey looks like.