Australians 'losing hope' amid lowest birth rate on record

New national data has also revealed the national birth rate has hit a record low, with Australian National University demographer Liz Allen saying life was "simply too difficult" for people considering having children.

Dr Allen said the figures continued a dangerous long-term trend.

"This is an unchanging story that isn't getting better. Really there's no news here except that things are getting worse," she said.

"The time for action is long overdue."

The figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed the national birth rate dropping to 52 per 1000 women in 2023, the lowest figure since AIHW started recording in 1998.

The AIHW data is gathered from public and private hospitals across Australia, providing a detailed picture of birthing trends over time.

While the figures revealed a record low birth rate, they also showed the rate was in "steady decline" since 2007.

There was a slight uptick after the first year of the COVID pandemic, but that has been followed by a sharp decline.

In 2007 the rate was 66 babies per 1000 women of reproductive age, so the figure has dropped more than 20 per cent over just 16 years.

Despite the overall declining trend, regional Australia showed better rates than the big cities.

Areas like Bourke in north-west NSW had a rate of 98 babies per 1000 women in 2023, double the national average.

Dubbo's rate was 76.2, while Wagga Wagga's was 65.2, Griffith's was 70 and Orange's was 64.

In Victoria, Warrnambool's rate was 58.6 and Wodonga's was 58.9.

The larger regional cities recorded lower rates.

Newcastle's rate was 46.9 babies per 1000 women, Wollongong's was 47, while Victoria's big regional centres were slightly better, with Ballarat's rate 53.7 and Bendigo's 57.4.

The lowest rates were recorded in metropolitan areas in the centre of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, with rates around 20 babies per 1000 women.

Canberra also recorded one of the lowest birth rates in the nation, with just 24 babies per 1000 women.

The data also showed a continuing trend of mothers giving birth later in life.

In 1998 the average age of women giving birth was 28.9 years. By 2023 new mothers were more than two years older, with the average jumping to 31.3 years.

AIHW spokesperson Louise Catanzariti said the proportion of older mothers had also climbed.

"Over time, the proportion of women giving birth aged 35 and over has increased from 23 per cent in 2010 to 28 per cent in 2023, while the proportion aged under 25 has decreased from 18 per cent to 11 per cent," Ms Catanzariti said.

Dr Allen said both the birth rate and the age of new mothers were signs of how difficult life was for people.

"Total fertility rates aren't an indication of a decline in people's ability to get pregnant, rather, life is getting in the way," she said.

"It wouldn't be such a problem if people were just choosing not to get pregnant, but the truth is it's a constrained choice.

People are unlikely to meet their desired family size because life is simply too difficult and the prospect of having a child is so concerning to people because the future feels mighty uncertain."

Dr Allen said government intervention was long overdue and it would have to be significant.

"What's needed now is a comprehensive suite of policies aimed at tackling housing affordability, economic insecurity, gender inequality, and climate change," she said.

"A piecemeal baby bonus isn't going to get us out of this."

She said potential parents had lost confidence in the future being a hospitable place for a child.

"What we need now is not pro-natalist policies, but instead policies of hope, restoring hope," Dr Allen said.

"Because at the core of it, that's what having children is about, a hope that tomorrow will be worth living.

"Right now there's a significant lack of hope in the future."