Fertility rates among older women jump, but drops for teens
New data shows Australia has bounced back from the record-low fertility rates recorded in 2020, while confirming significant growth in fertility rates among older women.
News.com.au reports the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday revealed 309,996 babies were born in 2021, an increase of more than five per cent from the previous year, with a fertility rate of 1.7 babies per woman improving on the 1.59 recorded in 2020.
It reported that Emily Walter, Demography Director at the ABS, said the 2021 fertility rate was lower than the recent peak of 2.02 recorded in 2008, but said the recent data had reinforced some broader trends.
“Over the last 30 years we’ve seen the fertility rate of women in older age groups rise; for example, the fertility rate of mothers aged 35-39 has doubled over that period, and for mothers aged 40-44 the rate has nearly tripled,” Ms Walter said.
“What this means is that the median age for mothers has risen as well,” she said.
“We’ve also seen a corresponding decrease in the fertility rate of teenage mothers; mothers aged 15-19 years.”
Read the full report here.
