Birthdays are great, right? The one day a year that’s all about YOU. If you’re extra annoying about your birthday like I am, maybe you enjoy getting to do all the things that you enjoy for a day (or week) without your loved ones being able to complain because it’s what? That’s right, YOUR birthday.
However, some birthdays are just better to have than others and data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests that, actually, very few of us have a uniquely special day.
It turns out that actually, the least common day to be born is Boxing Day (December 26th) with only 1,345 births recorded each year. Actually, the December holidays are a surprisingly quiet time for births with only 1,416 recorded on Christmas days between 2001-2021 and 1,563 on New Year’s Day.
The ONS states that, “this is likely to be due to the large number of bank holidays over the period. Hospitals will generally only be delivering natural births and carrying out emergency caesareans over the holidays. Induced births and elective caesareans are likely to be scheduled on alternative dates.”
The most popular birthdays
So, bad news for September babies - you’re really not that special. Sorry. Between the years 2001 and 2021, on average, 9 of the top 10 dates of births were towards the end of September and early October.
All jokes aside, the ONS found that the most common days to be born are
- September 27th
- September 24th
- September 24rd
- October 1st
At least you know your parents REALLY enjoyed their festive season the year before you were born! Sorry.