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.

Australia Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.500 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.630 Ratio for 2022. Australia Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.897 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.540 Ratio in 1961 and a record low of 1.500 Ratio in 2023. Australia Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman 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. Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.;Weighted average;Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.

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.

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 Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 3.400 Ratio in 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 3.400 Ratio for 2022. Australia Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 7.350 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.000 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 3.400 Ratio in 2023. Australia Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live 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: Social: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate, female is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn female baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to female age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.;Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.;Weighted average;Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys. Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. This is a sex-disaggregated indicator for Sustainable Development Goal 3.2.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

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 ****.

In the Australian Capital Territory, about 1.35 children were born per woman in the period of 2022 to 2023. This figure represents a slight decrease compared to the previous year.

Australia Children Out of School: Female: % of Female Primary School Age data was reported at 0.189 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.237 % for 2021. Australia Children Out of School: Female: % of Female Primary School Age data is updated yearly, averaging 1.951 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2022, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.427 % in 2000 and a record low of 0.097 % in 2001. Australia Children Out of School: Female: % of Female Primary School Age 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: Education Statistics. Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Weighted average;

In the Australian state of Victoria, about 1.52 children were born per average woman in the period of 2022-2023. This figure represents a slight decrease compared to the previous year.

In the Australian state of Queensland, about 1.64 children were born per woman in the period of 2022-2023. This figure represents a slight increase compared to the previous year.

Australia Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate: Primary: Female: % of Primary School Age Children data was reported at 96.879 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 98.356 % for 2012. Australia Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate: Primary: Female: % of Primary School Age Children data is updated yearly, averaging 96.879 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99.059 % in 1982 and a record low of 95.030 % in 1974. Australia Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate: Primary: Female: % of Primary School Age Children 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: Education Statistics. Adjusted net enrollment is the number of pupils of the school-age group for primary education, enrolled either in primary or secondary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population in that age group.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.;Weighted average;

In the Northern Territory in Australia, about 1.66 children were born per woman in the period of 2022-2023. This figure represents a slight increase compared to the previous year.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of all women who gave birth and smoked during pregnancy. The data spans every two years between 2012-2016 and is aggregated to 2015 Department of Health Primary Health Network (PHN) areas, based on the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

The Child and Maternal Health Indicators have been calculated from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Mortality Database and Register of Births and National Perinatal Data Collection. This measure has been calculated with the numerator as the total number of mothers who smoked during pregnancy, and the denominator as the total number of mothers with a stated smoking status.

For further information about this dataset, visit the data source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Child and Maternal Health Data Tables.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using the Department of Health - PHN Areas.

• Data at the area level exclude births to Australian non-residents and women who could not be allocated because their usual residence was not stated or was not valid.

• A woman's smoking status during pregnancy is self-reported.

• Percentage for an area are suppressed for publication and marked as 'NP' if the number of mothers with a stated smoking status for the area is less than 100.

The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest fertility rates in 2024. All figures are estimates. In 2024, the fertility rate in Taiwan was estimated to be at 1.11 children per woman, making it the lowest fertility rate worldwide. Fertility rate The fertility rate is the average number of children born per woman of child-bearing age in a country. Usually, a woman aged between 15 and 45 is considered to be in her child-bearing years. The fertility rate of a country provides an insight into its economic state, as well as the level of health and education of its population. Developing countries usually have a higher fertility rate due to lack of access to birth control and contraception, and to women usually foregoing a higher education, or even any education at all, in favor of taking care of housework. Many families in poorer countries also need their children to help provide for the family by starting to work early and/or as caretakers for their parents in old age. In developed countries, fertility rates and birth rates are usually much lower, as birth control is easier to obtain and women often choose a career before becoming a mother. Additionally, if the number of women of child-bearing age declines, so does the fertility rate of a country. As can be seen above, countries like Hong Kong are a good example for women leaving the patriarchal structures and focusing on their own career instead of becoming a mother at a young age, causing a decline of the country’s fertility rate. A look at the fertility rate per woman worldwide by income group also shows that women with a low income tend to have more children than those with a high income. The United States are neither among the countries with the lowest, nor among those with the highest fertility rate, by the way. At 2.08 children per woman, the fertility rate in the US has been continuously slightly below the global average of about 2.4 children per woman over the last decade.

The Preschool Education industry has shown improved performance in recent years. Revenue is expected to climb at an annualised 0.5% over the five years through 2025-26 to $3.9 billion. This includes a 0.5% slump in 2025-26, resulting from a strengthening Child Care Services industry, a direct competitor to preschools. Federal funding, like the National Quality Framework (NQF), provided clear national standards for early childhood education and care and has aided in elevating preschools’ revenue, but strict staffing ratios through the NQF have kept growth in check. Facilities can’t add new students to their classes without hiring more staff, which restricts profit margins. Changing social dynamics like a net positive migration rate and a growing population have also seen more students enrolled in preschool education. A growing number of women in the labour force has helped fuel demand, as more households need preschool services. Preschools' main competitors are child care centres, which have been increasingly offering preschool education alongside their standard services as they attempt to expand their customer base. Child care centres not only offer more flexible hours but also receive more subsidies than preschool education facilities, making them an appealing alternative to budget- and time-restricted families. The Preschool Education industry is on track to expand its revenue at an annualised 2.2% through the end of 2030-31, to $4.3 billion. Rising birth numbers and an expanding population will result in more preschool-age children in the community, while easing economic pressures will grant households more disposable income, allowing more budgetary room to engage with preschool education. Preschools that use technology, like interactive learning tools, educational programs and digital learning platforms, are predicted to outperform in a competitive market. Partnerships with edtech businesses are expected to grow, as will an emphasis on STEM, language immersion and digital literacy. The NQF will continue to raise preschool standards.

Australia Children Out of School: Primary: Female data was reported at 2,081.000 Person in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,619.000 Person for 2021. Australia Children Out of School: Primary: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 15,189.000 Person from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2022, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 40,463.000 Person in 2000 and a record low of 890.000 Person in 2001. Australia Children Out of School: Primary: Female 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: Education Statistics. Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Sum;

In Tasmania, about 1.49 children were born per woman in the period of 2022-2023. This figure represents a significant decrease compared to the previous years.

Maternal characteristics of mothers giving birth in Australia (WA, NSW) by mother’s country of birth, 1994–2015.

Negotiating the Life Course (NLC) is a longitudinal study undertaken by the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, Australian National University and the School of Social Science, University of Queensland. It is designed to study the changing life courses and decision-making processes of Australian men and women as the family and society move from male breadwinner orientation in the direction of higher levels of gender equity. The project has six aims; to extend the theories of human capital and new home economics in explaining women's and men's labour force participation; to map women's and men's work trajectories over their life course, from career entry into retirement, and to develop explanatory models of career trajectories; to identify those aspects of the family-household system and the labour market that facilitate or impede women's involvement with the labour market; to investigate the interrelationships between labour force decisions about family formation and household arrangements; to identify the portfolio of resources that women and men draw upon throughout their lives when making decisions about career and family; and to assess the policy implications of the findings of the project for the institutions of the welfare state, the labour market and the family.

Variables included relationship and fertility histories, household work, child care arrangements, future objectives, attitudes to work, promotion, children and relationships. Background variables included parental country of birth, employment, occupation and education, respondent's and spouse's place of residence, education, income, housing, religion, health status, birthplace, marital status and household composition.

Detailed information is gathered relating to lifetime experiences of paid employment, education and training, relationships and childbearing. Considerable information is also gathered in relation to current employment and training, child care, household division of labour, caring and voluntary work, and a range of attitudes, values and expectations. In addition, standard socio-demographic descriptors are obtained.

NLC is a national random telephone survey using the electronic white pages as its sample frame. It is set up as an indefinite life, panel survey. In the first wave of the NLC project, 2231 people took part. Participants were from all around Australia. The larger states had a larger number of participants. The response rates were highest in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, intermediate in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and in New South Wales and Victoria outside of Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney and Melbourne had lower response rates with Sydney being particularly low – this was put down to language problems due to large numbers of non-English speakers in these cities, and suggests the need for translation facilities in the future. Despite concerns about the response rate, the 1997 study seems broadly representative of the Australian population.

Because only one person per household was interviewed, the unweighted sample under-represents households with more than one eligible respondent relative to households where there is only one eligible respondent. A weighting factor has been provided to take account of this bias in the unweighted sample when population estimates are being made. Weighting makes no difference to the distribution by sex. The main impact of weighting is in the distribution of the sample by living arrangement. Weighting shifts about five percent of respondents 'not in a relationship' to 'married'.

The data is available on the Australian Data Archive (ADA) in a variety of formats.

The above description draws upon Peter McDonald, et al, The Negotiating the Life Course Survey Experience (Paper prepared for the Panel Data and Policy Conference, Rydges Canberra: 1-3 May 2000).

In June 2022, it was estimated that around 7.3 percent of Australians were aged between 25 and 29, and the same applied to people aged between 30 and 34. All in all, about 55 percent of Australia’s population was aged 35 years or older as of June 2022. At the same time, the age distribution of the country also shows that the share of children under 14 years old was still higher than that of people over 65 years old. A breakdown of Australia’s population growth Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, yet with a population of around 26 million inhabitants, it is only sparsely populated. Since the 1970s, the population growth of Australia has remained fairly constant. While there was a slight rise in the Australian death rate in 2022, the birth rate of the country decreased after a slight rise in the previous year. The fact that the birth rate is almost double the size of its death rate gives the country one of the highest natural population growth rates of any high-income country.
National distribution of the population Australia’s population is expected to surpass 28 million people by 2028. The majority of its inhabitants live in the major cities. The most populated states are New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Together, they account for over 75 percent of the population in Australia.