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.

Australia Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 10.800 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.600 Ratio for 2022. Australia Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 14.900 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.900 Ratio in 1961 and a record low of 10.800 Ratio in 2023. Australia Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People 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. Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years).;Weighted average;

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.

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

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Australia was reported at 10.8 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Australia - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) in Australia was reported at 96 % in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Australia - Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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/].

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in Australia was reported at 1.5 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Australia - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

The crude birth rate in Australia declined to 10.8 live births per 1,000 inhabitants in 2023. The rate thereby reached its lowest value in recent years. The crude birth rate refers to the number of live births in a given year, expressed per 1,000 population. When studied in combination with the crude death rate, the rate of natural population increase can be determined.Find more key insights for the crude birth rate in countries like Fiji and Palau.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Australia (SPDYNCBRTINAUS) from 1960 to 2023 about birth, crude, Australia, and rate.

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 Local Government Areas (LGA) boundaries of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 3 - Non ABS Structures . 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 2020 LGA boundaries.

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.

Australia: Fertility rate, births per woman: The latest value from 2022 is 1.63 births per woman, a decline from 1.7 births per woman in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 2.51 births per woman, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for Australia from 1960 to 2022 is 2.12 births per woman. The minimum value, 1.58 births per woman, was reached in 2020 while the maximum of 3.54 births per woman was recorded in 1961.

Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) in Australia was reported at 1.056 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Australia - Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

This report analyses the number of births in Australia each year. This includes births to mothers whose place of usual residence was overseas at the time of the birth and births outside of Australia when a parent was employed at an Australian legation or consular office. The data for this report is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and is measured in births per financial year.

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.

Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) in Australia was reported at 3.4 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Australia - Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Yearly registered births – breakdown by Month

In the 2016 Australian census, women who identified with the Islamic faith had an average birth rate of 3.03 children by the age of 45 to 49 years. By comparison, Buddhist women had the lowest birth rate at 1.68.