Authors: Lixia Qu, Jennifer Baxter, and Megan Carroll.
Key messages
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The total fertility rate has fallen over recent years. It was 1.58 in 2020, the lowest rate on record.
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The age at which women have their first child has increased. In 2019, 51% of first births were to women aged over 30, representing a significant rise from 23% in 1991 and 37% in 2001.
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The proportion of births born outside marriage has remained steady since the late 2000s, although an upward trend has emerged in the last few years. In 2020, 36% of births were outside marriage.
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The size of Australian families has become smaller with women having fewer children in general. Two children has become the most common family size and larger families have become rarer. Only children and no children have also been on the rise.
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