Australia's Fertility Rate Hits Record Low in 2024
- Last year the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported Australia's national fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.481, deepening the nation's 'baby recession'.
- Research shows Australia's fertility decline stems from later parenthood, fewer children, and more childless people, with median maternal and paternal ages at 32.1 and 33.9 in 2024.
- Birth-Registration figures reveal Western Australia recorded 30,516 births in 2024, a 4.7 per cent fall, while national registered births reached 292,318.
- The Centre for Population's 2024 Population Statement projects that by the mid-2050s deaths will outnumber local births, and officials say low fertility means more skilled migrants will be needed.
- Earlier this year, the federal government committed to Medicare rebates for LGBTIQ+ couples and single people accessing assisted reproductive technology amid warnings of greater barriers for same-sex couples.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Later Starts, Fewer Births: Australians Waiting Longer to Begin Parenthood
More Australians are waiting until their 30s to start families as changing work patterns, education, and living costs reshape what family life looks like across the country. New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveal that parents are delaying childbirth more than ever, as the nation’s fertility rate dips below 1.5 babies per woman. In 2024, the median age of mothers reached 32.1 years, while fathers averaged 33.9—up steadi…
What record low fertility rates mean for our economy & gold hits another record
SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with McCrindle Social Researcher Ashley Fell about thegrowing trend for Australians to have fewer kids, and later in life; plus Luke Laretive from Seneca Financial Services looks through the day's sharemarket moves including what he is telling his clients.
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