Fertility Facts
(Australian Bureau of Statistics, 3301.0 Births, Australia, November 2002)
The median age of mothers of newborn children (that is where half of the mothers were younger and half were older) reached 30 years for the first time in 2001. The median age of mothers is affected by trends towards delayed partnering and childbearing and following divorce, repartnering and subsequent family formation.
The median age of married mothers of newborn children reached 30 years in 1995, increasing to 31 years in 2001.
The median age of unmarried mothers of newborn children remained below 30 years, at 26.2 years in 2001.
The oldest mothers giving birth in 2001 were in Victoria (median age of 30.7 years) followed by the Australian Capital Territory (30.4 years) and South Australia (30.3 years).
The youngest mothers giving birth in 2001 were in the Northern Territory (median age of 27.9 years) followed by Tasmania (29.1 years).
The median age of fathers of babies registered in 2001 was 32.3 years. The median age of fathers reached 30 years in 1983.
The number of births registered in 2001 declined by 3,200 (or -1%) compared to the number registered in 2000, from 249,600 to 246,400.
Western Australia experienced the largest decline (-4%) in the number of births registered in 2001 compared to 2000, followed by South Australia and New South Wales (each -3%).
Tasmania experienced the largest increase (13%) in the number of births registered in 2001 compared to 2000, followed by the Northern Territory (4%) and Queensland (1%).
In 2001, Australia's total fertility rate was 1.73 babies per woman, 1% lower than in 2000 (1.75).
Australia's fertility rate remains lower than that of New Zealand (2.0) and the United States of America (1.9) and higher than Canada (1.6), Japan (1.3) and many European countries such as Italy and Greece (each 1.2).
Women aged 30-34 years continued to experience the highest fertility rate in 2001 (107 babies per 1,000 women), however this rate declined by 3% compared to 2000 (111 babies).
Women aged 25-29 years experienced the second highest fertility rate in 2001 of 104 babies per 1,000 women, a decline of 3% compared to 2000 (107 babies).
Teenage fertility marginally increased between 2000 and 2001, from 17 babies per 1,000 women in 2000 to 18 in 2001.
The proportion of women remaining childless has increased over time in each age group. For women aged 25-29 years in 1981, 35% were childless, while 59% of women of the same age in 2001 were childless.
In 1981, 8% of 40-44-year-old women were childless. By 2001 this had increased to 13% of women.
Family Update, January-February 2003, p. 3