Latest half yearly figures for September 2013 to March 2014 show the number of childminders registered with Ofsted fell from 53,938 to 51,789.
Over the same period, there were 8,449 fewer childminder places available to parents.
Early years organsiations have warned that the fall could be linked to the government's creation of childminder agencies, which are currently being piloted and are set to go live from September. They are concerned that agencies will push up costs and childminders will feel pressurised to join one.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: "These declines are clearly a result of poor policy-making, which has created a feeling of real uncertainly and instability within the childminding sector. Add to this the fact that the DfE has seen fit to proceed with the introduction of childminder agencies despite almost universal opposition, and it is clear why so many are opting to leave the sector.
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