The Department for Education (DfE) children-in-need census figures for 2012/13 show that 593,500 referrals were made to children's services.
This is a 1.9 per cent fall on the previous year's figure of 605,100 and the lowest since the first census was compiled in 2009/10.
But despite the drop in referrals the number of children granted the status rose slightly during the same period from 369,400 to 378,600.
Children-in-need status covers a range of services including family support, leaving care, disability support and adoption.
The area with the highest rate of children in need is Middlesbrough, where the rate is 785.3 per 10,000 children. The lowest is Wokingham with a rate of 154.4.
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