Women are choosing the hospital over home
The number of women giving birth at homes has fell in the last 50 years.
Just one in 40 women now gives birth at home, down from one in three 50 years ago.
Last year only 2.5 per cent of mums-to-be ended up giving birth at home last year. The figure is down from 2.7 per cent in 2009 and 2.9 per cent in 2008 in England and Wlaes, according to the Office for National Statistics.
In 1960, it was 33.2 per cent but NHS campaigns persuaded women to give birth in hospital due to poor housing - and there was a record low of 0.9 per cent between 1985 and 1988.
Elizabeth Dugg, of the National Childbirth Trust, said: "This further reduction is disappointing, as we know that up to 11 per cent of pregnant women plan and hope for a home birth.
"With many maternity services overstretched, we need to see sufficient numbers of midwives to offer home birth as a realistic choice for families."
The data also showed that women now have an average of two children each - the highest fertility rate since 1973.