In Australia, the crude birth rate in 1800 was 45 births per thousand people, meaning that 4.5 percent of the population had been born in that year. In the first half of the nineteenth century, Australia's crude birth rate decreased gradually, reaching just under 36 in 1850, however it then increased again over the next fifteen years, as the gold rushes brought many immigrants to the continent. After this, the crude birth rate dropped gradually until the Second World War, after the war Australia experienced another baby boom, reaching it's peak of 23 children per thousand in 1955. In the late 1970s the rate dropped rather sharply, falling from around twenty in 1970 to 15.8 in 1980, and since then the birth rate has decreased at a slower rate, and has fallen below thirteen births per thousand people in 2020.

In financial year 2023, there were just under 296 thousand babies born in Australia. This is one of the lowest birth rate years over the past decade, with most years the country seeing over 300 thousand new births.

Fertility rate in Australia Around 1.68 children were born per woman of childbearing age in Australia in 2022, which is one of the lowest fertility rate years ever recorded. Australia's fertility rate has been relatively stable over the past four decades, fluctuating between 1.7 and 2.0 births per woman. Moreover, Australia, like the majority of other developed nations, has been experiencing population ageing due to a declining fertility rate and increased longevity.

Life expectancy at birth In 2021, the life expectancy at birth in Australia remained virtually unchanged at approximately 83.3 years. Nonetheless, 2021 represents the peak of Australia's life expectancy. In Australia, females born in 2019 have a life expectancy of 85 years, while males born in 2019 have a life expectancy of 80.9 years. Male life expectancy at birth has increased by over four years in Australia since the year 2000, while female life expectancy has increased by three years.

Historical dataset showing Australia birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Actual value and historical data chart for Australia Birth Rate Crude Per 1 000 People

Australia Completeness of Birth Registration data was reported at 100.000 % in 2022. This stayed constant from the previous number of 100.000 % for 2017. Australia Completeness of Birth Registration data is updated yearly, averaging 100.000 % from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2022, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2022 and a record low of 100.000 % in 2022. Australia Completeness of Birth Registration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Completeness of birth registration is the percentage of children under age 5 whose births were registered at the time of the survey. The numerator of completeness of birth registration includes children whose birth certificate was seen by the interviewer or whose mother or caretaker says the birth has been registered.;Household surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by UNICEF.;Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 16.9.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country will have throughout their reproductive years. In 1800, Australian women of childbearing age would go on to have approximately 6.5 children on average over the course of their lifetime, and this number decreased gradually to just below five in the early 1850s. Over the next ten years the fertility rate increased to 5.7 children per woman, as an influx of migrants arrived on the continent during the Australian gold rushes, however the fertility rate dropped from 1860 until 1935, when it was then just 2.2 children per woman, although there was a small baby boom after the First World War. Australia's fertility rate did rise during the global 'Baby Boom' after the Second World War, reaching 3.4 in the 1960s, but it then dropped to two children per woman in 1980, and it has plateaued just under this number until today.

This dataset contains statistics about births and fertility rates for Australia, states and territories, and sub-state regions. It includes all births that occurred and were registered in Australia, including births to mothers whose place of usual residence was overseas. Estimated resident populations (ERPs) are used as denominators to calculate fertility rates and are based on the results of the 2016 Census. This dataset uses the ABS Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) boundaries of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2016. For more information such as the scope, coverage and exclusions used in this dataset please visit the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) methodology documentation. AURIN has spatially enabled the original data from the ABS with the 2016 SA2 boundaries.

Australia Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff: % of Total data was reported at 96.000 % in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 98.800 % for 2019. Australia Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 99.300 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2020, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99.800 % in 2014 and a record low of 96.000 % in 2020. Australia Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Births attended by skilled health staff are the percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.;UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.;Weighted average;Assistance by trained professionals during birth reduces the incidence of maternal deaths during childbirth. The share of births attended by skilled health staff is an indicator of a health system’s ability to provide adequate care for pregnant women. This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.1.2[https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

In 2023, the crude birth rate in live births per 1,000 inhabitants in Australia amounted to 10.8. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 11.6, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of selected women giving birth for the first time who gave birth by non-instrumental vaginal birth, by the mother's usual residence. This has been calculated with the number of selected females giving birth for the first time who gave birth by non-instrumental vaginal birth, divided by all selected females, and multiplied by 100. The data spans the years of 2014-2016 and is aggregated to Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) geographic areas from the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

Women included are those who gave birth for the first time and met all of the following criteria:

• Aged between 20 and 34.

• Gestational age at birth between 37 and 41 completed weeks.

• Pregnancy has one baby only (singleton).

• The presentation of the baby is vertex (baby's head was at the cervix).

The data is sourced from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC), which is a national population-based cross-sectional collection of data on pregnancy and childbirth. The data are based on births reported to the perinatal data collection in each state and territory in Australia. Midwives and other birth attendants, using information obtained from mothers and from hospital or other records, complete notification forms for each birth. A standard de-identified extract is provided to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on an annual basis to form the NPDC.

For further information about this dataset, please visit:

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - National Core Maternity Indicators Data Tables.

• Metadata Online Registry Entry.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

• A birth is defined as an event in which a baby comes out of the uterus after a pregnancy of at least 20 weeks gestation or weighing 400 grams or more.

• A non-instrumental vaginal birth is one in which the baby is born through the vagina without the assistance of instruments (vacuum or forceps).

• Non-instrumental vaginal births include spontaneous vaginal and vaginal breech.

• Data for selected women criteria, parity, were not available from Victoria for 2009.

• Data for Tasmania from 2004 to 2012 were not available. For Tasmania from 2005 to 2012, presentations via caesarean births were not reported by hospitals still using paper-based form. Where a caesarean section occurred the presentation was recorded as ‘Not stated’. Presentations via caesarean births were included in the paper-based form from 1 January 2013. The year 2004 was not included in this analysis.

• Data for Statistical Local Area Level 3 (SA3) of mother's usual residence reported using a 3-year aggregate, 2014-2016.

• The sum of the reported 'Grouped by' values may not equal the Australia total.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of selected women giving birth for the first time who gave birth by caesarean section. This has been calculated with the number of selected females giving birth for the first time who gave birth by caesarean section, divided by all selected females, and multiplied by 100. The data spans the years of 2014-2016 and is aggregated to Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) geographic areas from the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

Women included are those who gave birth for the first time and met all of the following criteria:

• Aged between 20 and 34.

• Gestational age at birth between 37 and 41 completed weeks.

• Pregnancy has one baby only (singleton).

• The presentation of the baby is vertex (baby's head was at the cervix).

The data is sourced from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC), which is a national population-based cross-sectional collection of data on pregnancy and childbirth. The data are based on births reported to the perinatal data collection in each state and territory in Australia. Midwives and other birth attendants, using information obtained from mothers and from hospital or other records, complete notification forms for each birth. A standard de-identified extract is provided to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on an annual basis to form the NPDC.

For further information about this dataset, please visit:

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - National Core Maternity Indicators Data Tables.

• Metadata Online Registry Entry.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

• A birth is defined as the event in which a baby comes out of the uterus after a pregnancy of at least 20 weeks gestation or weighing 400 grams or more.

• Caesarean section is an operative procedure to remove the baby through an incision through a female's abdomen and uterus.

• Gestational age is a clinical measure of the duration of the pregnancy. For the NPDC gestational age is reported as completed weeks.

• Data for selected women criteria, parity, were not available from Victoria for 2009.

• Data for Tasmania from 2004 to 2012 were not available. For Tasmania from 2005 to 2012, presentations via caesarean births were not reported by hospitals still using paper-based form. Where a caesarean section occurred the presentation was recorded as ‘Not stated’. Presentations via caesarean births were included in the paper-based form from 1 January 2013. The year 2004 was not included in this analysis.

• Data for Statistical Local Area Level 3 (SA3) of mother's usual residence reported using a 3-year aggregate, 2014-2016.

• The sum of the reported 'Grouped by' values may not equal the Australia total.

Yearly registered births – breakdown by Month

This dataset includes perinatal and birth data from: the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's Data tables: National perinatal data collection annual update 2021 and Data tables: National maternal mortality data collection annual update 2021 (https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies/data), UNICEF's Maternal and newborn health coverage (https://data.unicef.org/resources/dataset/maternal-newborn-health/) and the World Health Organisation's Maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and ageing: Data portal (https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/maternal-and-newborn-data).

It focuses on two factors that have been identified to have a significant impact on maternal mortality rates - a minimum of four antenatal visits during pregnancy and births attended by skilled health personnel. The data also considers fetal mortality and maternal mortality in the Australian context, as well as gestational age and birth and birthweight, which are key indicators of outcomes for babies.

The Australian data is from 2021. In the case of international data, the most recent available data has been used. Data prior to 2017 has been excluded, so current comparisons can be made.

This dataset is about countries per year in Australia. It has 64 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and birth rate.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of selected women who gave birth for the first time and who had labour induced. This has been calculated with the number of selected females who …Show full descriptionThis dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of selected women who gave birth for the first time and who had labour induced. This has been calculated with the number of selected females who gave birth for the first time and who had labour induced, divided by all selected females, and multiplied by 100. The data spans the years of 2014-2016 and is aggregated to Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) geographic areas from the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). Women included are those who gave birth for the first time and met all of the following criteria: Aged between 20 and 34. Gestational age at birth between 37 and 41 completed weeks. Pregnancy has one baby only (singleton). The presentation of the baby is vertex (baby's head was at the cervix). The data is sourced from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC), which is a national population-based cross-sectional collection of data on pregnancy and childbirth. The data are based on births reported to the perinatal data collection in each state and territory in Australia. Midwives and other birth attendants, using information obtained from mothers and from hospital or other records, complete notification forms for each birth. A standard de-identified extract is provided to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on an annual basis to form the NPDC. For further information about this dataset, please visit: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - National Core Maternity Indicators Data Tables. Metadata Online Registry Entry. Please note: AURIN has spatially enabled the original data. A birth is defined as an event in which a baby comes out of the uterus after a pregnancy of at least 20 weeks gestation or weighing 400 grams or more. Induction of labour is a set of procedures (pharmacological and/or instrumental) to start the uterus contracting and begin the process of labour. Gestational age is a clinical measure of the duration of the pregnancy. For the NPDC gestational age is reported as completed weeks. Data for selected women criteria, parity, were not available from Victoria for 2009. Data for Tasmania from 2004 to 2012 were not available. For Tasmania from 2005 to 2012, presentations via caesarean births were not reported by hospitals still using paper-based form. Where a caesarean section occurred the presentation was recorded as ‘Not stated’. Presentations via caesarean births were included in the paper-based form from 1 January 2013. The year 2004 was not included in this analysis. Data for Statistical Local Area Level 3 (SA3) of mother's usual residence reported using a 3-year aggregate, 2014-2016. The sum of the reported 'Grouped by' values may not equal the Australia total. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2018): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/3/2020. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU)

Australia Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.056 Ratio in 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.056 Ratio for 2022. Australia Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.056 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.060 Ratio in 2017 and a record low of 1.048 Ratio in 1971. Australia Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Weighted average;

The South Australian perinatal statistics collection is data collected from births in SA, notified by hospital and homebirth midwives and neonatal nurses. Further information can be found at the SA Health Website.

In the 2016 Australian census, women who identified with the Islamic faith had an average birth rate of **** children by the age of 45 to 49 years. By comparison, Buddhist women had the lowest birth rate at ****.

This dataset presents the footprint of the number and per cent of small for gestational age births, by the mother's usual place of residence. The data spans the year of 2016 and is aggregated to Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) from the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). The data is sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC). The NPDC began in 1991 and is a collaborative effort by the AIHW and state and territory health departments. Perinatal data are collected for each birth in each state and territory, usually by midwives and other birth attendants. The data are collated by the relevant state or territory health department and a standard de-identified extract is provided to the AIHW on an annual basis to form the NPDC. The NPDC covers both live births and stillbirths, where gestational age is at least 20 weeks or birth weight is at least 400 grams, except in Victoria and Western Australia, where births are included if gestational age is at least 20 weeks or, if gestation is unknown, birthweight is at least 400 grams. The Mothers and Babies data accompanies the Australia's Mothers and Babies 2016 - In Brief Report. For further information about this dataset, visit the data source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Australia's Mothers and Babies 2016 Data Tables. Please note: AURIN has spatially enabled the original data. Babies are defined as small for gestational age if their birthweight is below the 10th percentile for their gestational age and sex, according to national birthweight percentiles. Includes singleton liveborn babies with known birthweight, gestational age and sex.

In 2023, Australia's fertility rate reached its lowest ever figure, at fewer than 1.5 children born per women of childbearing age. In general, Australia’s fertility rate has been fairly consistent throughout the past four decades, fluctuating between 1.7 and two births per woman, however the recent drop in fertility may be a result of the Covid-19 pandemic - it remains to be seen what the full extent of the pandemic will be on demographic trends. Population aging in Australia Like most other developed nations, Australia has been experiencing population ageing, driven by declining fertility rate and increased longevity, with an average life expectancy at birth of 83 years in 2020. Amid the pandemic, Australia also witnessed a noticeable decrease in the number of births to approximately 294.4 thousand, the lowest value since 2011. “No kids attached” Childfree couples could become the norm in Australia, as couples living without children are expected to become Australia’s most common family type in a few years’ time. While many families may suffer from involuntary childlessness, other couples would opt for a childfree life for various reasons. Especially in times of COVID-19, couples might not want to risk having children with increasing job insecurity.