Breastfeeding in England
Breastfeeding statistics in England
Breastfeeding prevalence at 6–8 weeks is one of the most important indicators monitored by local authorities as part of the children’s public health (age 0–5) commissioning framework. Data is collected through health visitor reviews or through GP assessments and published annually by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). The latest annual data covers 2024 to 2025. Key findings include:
- Breastfeeding prevalence at 6–8 weeks in England reached 55.6% in 2024–25 – the highest recorded since the current data collection began in 2015–16, and up from 48.0% in 2019–20
- Breastfeeding rates improved at local level across most of England: of the 76 upper tier local authorities with valid data for both years, 45 increased, 28 were stable and 3 decreased
- Wide variation persists between local authorities, with breastfeeding rates at 6–8 weeks ranging from 33.2% to 82.6%.
The longer-term trend is clearly upward, but regional and local inequalities remain significant. To map local breastfeeding data against other child health outcomes, the OHID Child and Maternal Health Fingertips tool brings together indicators from the Public Health Outcomes Framework and allows comparison at local, regional and national level.
In addition, NHS England’s Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS) includes data on breastfeeding initiation and skin-to-skin contact rates.
A note on forthcoming data: The Infant Feeding Survey in England 2024 – the first national survey of infant feeding practices since 2010 – is due to be published on 4 June 2026. It will provide the most comprehensive picture of breastfeeding incidence, duration and exclusive breastfeeding rates in England in over a decade, alongside data on formula use, introduction of solids and inequalities by deprivation and ethnicity. This page will be updated when those findings are available.
Breastfeeding policy in England
English national policy is grounded in strong evidence that the early years are foundational to a child’s health and development, consistently identifying breastfeeding support as a priority within that framework.
The Public Health Outcomes Framework measures breastfeeding initiation and prevalence at 6–8 weeks as indicators of health improvement under Domain 2 (Health Improvement), requiring local authorities to prioritise breastfeeding support and monitor progress year on year.
The NHS Three Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services (2023) requires all maternity services to achieve Baby Friendly accreditation by March 2027 and includes a specific commitment to fund services to meet the Baby Friendly standard for infant feeding. This builds on the original commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan (2019) which first established the expectation that all maternity services would implement an accredited, evidence-based infant feeding programme.
The government’s Family Hubs and Start for Life programme has made infant feeding support a central component of early years services across England. In 2025–26 the government is providing £18.5 million specifically for infant feeding services through the programme, which operates across 75 local authorities and includes funding for local infant feeding services as well as the extension of the National Breastfeeding Helpline to provide 24-hour access, seven days a week. The programme is a key component of the government’s broader Giving every child the best start in life strategy (July 2025), which commits to rolling out Best Start Family Hubs across every local authority in England.
Breastfeeding resources in England
Commissioning guidance for infant feeding: produced jointly by UNICEF UK and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, this resource provides guidance to help local commissioners protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Healthy child programme 0 to 19: health visitor and school nurse commissioning: service specification for local authorities commissioning health visitors and school nurses, including guidance on infant feeding care and a recommendation for UNICEF UK Baby Friendly accreditation.
Association of Directors of Public Health: Best start in life position statement: calls for a whole system approach to support child health and recommends Baby Friendly as an evidence-based programme.
iHV’s National Framework for continuing professional development for health visitors: recommends the Baby Friendly Initiative as an evidence-based programme to improve breastfeeding rates.
London Health Inequalities Strategy: highlights that the Mayor encourages all London boroughs to achieve Baby Friendly accreditation and calls on partners to improve postnatal and perinatal support for breastfeeding.
Baby Friendly statistics
Find out the latest Baby Friendly accreditation statistics: