Child development outcomes, 2024 to 2025 statistical commentary
Updated 4 November 2025
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-development-outcomes-data-for-2024-to-2025/child-development-outcomes-2024-to-2025-statistical-commentary
What’s new
The following indicators for child development at 2 to 2 and half years have been updated with England, regional and upper tier local authority data for 2024 to 2025:
- children achieving a good level of development overall
- indicators for the 5 domains which make up an overall good level of development:
- communication skills
- gross motor
- fine motor
- problem solving skills
- personal social skills
Introduction
Early childhood is an important period for emotional and physical development. Child development is assessed at the universal health visitor review offered to all families when their child reaches 2 to 2 and a half years. The review currently uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3) to assess development across 5 domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal social skills.
Coverage of universal health visitor reviews at 2 to 2 and a half years is discussed in the Health visitor service delivery metrics statistical commentary, 2024 to 2025.
Main findings
This update shows:
- the percentage of children at or above the expected level of development in all 5 domains of development (‘good level of development’) at 2 to 2 and a half was 81.4% in 2024 to 2025. This is an increase from 2023 to 2024 although the trend over the last 5 years is stable
- for the 5 domains which make up the overall assessment of child development, all indicators increased in 2024 to 2025 compared with 2023 to 2024. The trend over the last 5 years is increasing for all domains apart from communication skills which is stable
Detailed findings
Percentage of children achieving a good level of development at 2 to 2 and a half years
In 2024 to 2025, 81.4% of children achieved the expected level of development at 2 to 2 and a half, in all 5 domains of development. This is an increase from 2023 to 2024 when the value was 80.4%. However, the trend over the last 5 years is stable.
Figure 1: percentage of children in England achieving a good level of development at 2 to 2 and a half, 2017 to 2018 to 2024 to 2025
The percentage of children achieving a good level of development varies across regions, from 78.0% in the West Midlands to 85.6% in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Figure 2: percentage of children achieving a good level of development at 2 to 2 and a half, English regions, 2024 to 2025
Among upper tier local authorities, where a value could be calculated, the highest percentage of children achieving a good level of development was 97.5% and the lowest 60.3%.
Background
The information in this publication shows service coverage and related health outcomes for services funded through the local authority public health grant for children’s public health 0 to 5 years. This includes the coverage of universal health visitor reviews, breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks and child development outcomes aged 2.
The data comes from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID’s) interim reporting system for children’s public health 0 to 5 years. The technical guidance contains full details of the health visiting, breastfeeding and child development indicators, including definitions and methodology.
Caution should be used when interpreting these figures as it is a voluntary data collection and there is not full coverage. Any figures shown at a region or England level, or by deprivation, are based on an aggregate total of local authorities within those areas who supplied data items which complied with validation criteria for each indicator.
The health reviews may be targeted towards children who are likely to need more support. This includes those living in the most deprived areas and children who are known to be vulnerable due to family or other circumstances. This may contribute to low coverage of reviews or low numbers of children meeting the expected level of development for some local authorities.
The Community Services Data Set (CSDS) will be used as the basis for these metrics in the longer term, once the data quality has reached a suitable standard.
All the data is available on Fingertips.
Contact information
For media enquiries please contact the Department of Health and Social Care media team.
For all other enquiries relating to the statistics or to offer feedback on the publication please email interimreporting@dhsc.gov.uk.