Australian birth statistics · Updated October 2026
Birth rate statistics in Australia
How many babies are born in Australia, how old their parents are, and how the birth rate has changed over the past 100 years — drawn from the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
The fertility rate is at a record low
Australia's total fertility rate — the average number of babies a woman would have over her lifetime at current rates — was 1.481 in 2024, down from 1.499 in 2023 and 1.795 a decade earlier. It's the lowest figure in ABS records going back to 1924, and it has been below the replacement level of about 2.1 every year since 1976.
Source: ABS, Births, Australia, 2024. Hover or tap the chart for each year.
View the data
| Year | Babies per woman |
|---|---|
| 1924 | 2.972 |
| 1934 | 2.107 |
| 1947 | 3.076 |
| 1961 | 3.548 |
| 1971 | 2.945 |
| 1976 | 2.060 |
| 1986 | 1.868 |
| 1996 | 1.805 |
| 2001 | 1.743 |
| 2008 | 2.023 |
| 2014 | 1.795 |
| 2019 | 1.666 |
| 2020 | 1.593 |
| 2021 | 1.696 |
| 2022 | 1.631 |
| 2023 | 1.499 |
| 2024 | 1.481 |
The peak, in 1961, at the height of the post-war baby boom.
A brief rebound in 2008 — the highest rate since 1976.
Net reproduction rate in 2024: the average number of daughters per woman who survive to childbearing age.
How many babies are born in Australia?
There were 292,318 births registered in 2024 — 150,299 boys and 142,019 girls. The total has stayed in a band of roughly 285,000 to 315,000 since 2008, even as the fertility rate fell, because Australia's population has kept growing. The most births ever registered in one year was 315,147 in 2018.
Source: ABS, Births, Australia, 2024. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect registration processing times — for example, Victoria's 12.9% jump in 2024 followed earlier processing delays.
View the data
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 1924 | 134,927 |
| 1934 | 109,475 |
| 1946 | 176,379 |
| 1961 | 239,986 |
| 1971 | 276,361 |
| 1981 | 235,842 |
| 1991 | 257,247 |
| 2001 | 246,394 |
| 2008 | 302,272 |
| 2012 | 309,582 |
| 2016 | 311,104 |
| 2018 | 315,147 |
| 2020 | 294,369 |
| 2021 | 309,996 |
| 2022 | 300,684 |
| 2023 | 286,998 |
| 2024 | 292,318 |
births per 1,000 people in 2024 (the crude birth rate), down from 12.8 in 2014.
of babies born in 2024 had parents in a registered marriage.
babies registered on an average day in 2024 — about one every 108 seconds.
Parents are older than ever
The biggest shift behind the falling birth rate is timing. The median age of mothers was 32.1 years in 2024 and fathers 33.9 — both records. In 1971, half of all mothers were under 25.4. Today, women in their early thirties have the highest fertility rate of any age group, while births to women in their twenties have dropped sharply.
Source: ABS, Births, Australia, 2024.
View the data
| Year | Median age (years) |
|---|---|
| 1924 | 28.9 |
| 1946 | 27.9 |
| 1961 | 26.6 |
| 1971 | 25.4 |
| 1981 | 26.7 |
| 1991 | 28.5 |
| 2001 | 30.0 |
| 2011 | 30.6 |
| 2021 | 31.7 |
| 2022 | 31.9 |
| 2023 | 31.9 |
| 2024 | 32.1 |
Source: ABS age-specific fertility rates. 2024 values labelled.
View the data
| Age group | 1961 | 1994 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–19 | 47.4 | 20.7 | 6.0 |
| 20–24 | 225.8 | 69.9 | 30.6 |
| 25–29 | 221.2 | 126.2 | 71.3 |
| 30–34 | 131.1 | 105.3 | 106.0 |
| 35–39 | 63.4 | 41.2 | 66.6 |
| 40–44 | 19.2 | 6.7 | 15.5 |
| 45–49 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 1.4 |
births per 1,000 women aged 30–34 — the highest of any age group in 2024.
births per 1,000 teenagers (15–19) in 2024, down from 55.5 in 1971.
children, on average, for women who turned 49 in 2024 — their completed lifetime fertility.
Birth rates by state and territory
The Northern Territory had the highest fertility rate in 2024 (1.629) and the ACT the lowest (1.273). Every state and territory is below where it was ten years ago. New South Wales registered the most babies, followed closely by Victoria, whose 2024 total was boosted by catching up on delayed registrations.
Source: ABS, by state or territory of usual residence.
| State or territory | Births 2024 | Fertility rate 2024 | Fertility rate 2014 | Change | Median age, mothers | Median age, fathers | Multiple births |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 86,978 | 1.460 | 1.723 | −0.263 | 32.2 | 34.1 | 1.3% |
| Victoria | 82,328 | 1.521 | 1.715 | −0.194 | 32.7 | 34.4 | 1.6% |
| Queensland | 58,986 | 1.505 | 1.910 | −0.405 | 31.2 | 33.0 | 1.4% |
| Western Australia | 30,516 | 1.434 | 1.906 | −0.472 | 31.9 | 33.9 | 1.4% |
| South Australia | 18,516 | 1.458 | 1.850 | −0.392 | 31.8 | 33.5 | 1.7% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 6,017 | 1.273 | 1.738 | −0.465 | 32.8 | 34.3 | 1.7% |
| Tasmania | 5,483 | 1.485 | 1.963 | −0.478 | 31.1 | 32.7 | 1.5% |
| Northern Territory | 3,484 | 1.629 | 2.041 | −0.412 | 30.5 | 32.9 | 1.1% |
| Australia | 292,318 | 1.481 | 1.795 | −0.314 | 32.1 | 33.9 | 1.5% |
Source: ABS, Births, Australia, 2024. Births by state of registration; fertility rates, median ages and multiple births by state of usual residence.
Twins and multiple births
In 2024, 1.5% of births — 4,191 in total — were multiple births: 4,129 sets of twins and 62 sets of triplets or more. That share has stayed steady for a decade. South Australia and the ACT had the highest rate of multiple births (1.7%) and the Northern Territory the lowest (1.1%).
births involving at least one live-born baby in 2024 was a multiple birth.
sets of twins born in Australia on an average day.
multiple births in Victoria in 2024 — the most of any state.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births
There were 25,049 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in 2024, 8.6% of all births. The total fertility rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women was 2.128 — above replacement level and higher than in 2014 (1.940) — and the median age of mothers was 27.0 years. New South Wales (8,294) and Queensland (7,544) recorded the most births.
The ABS changed how it derives Indigenous status on birth registrations in 2024, so take care when comparing with earlier years for NSW, WA, Tasmania and the NT.
What happens next?
The Australian Government's Centre for Population, in its 2025 Population Statement, expects the fertility rate to fall further to a record low of about 1.42 in 2025–26, before recovering slightly in the early 2030s. The ABS will publish official figures for 2025 on 6 November 2026, and we'll update this page when they're released.
Fertility intentions in Australia have also been falling since 2001, but remain above the actual fertility rate — many Australians still have fewer children than they say they'd like.
Summary of Centre for Population, 2025 Population StatementUnderstanding the numbers
Birth statistics use a few different measures. Here's what each one means.
- Total fertility rate (TFR)
- The average number of babies a woman would have in her lifetime if current age-specific birth rates continued. Australia: 1.481 (2024).
- Crude birth rate
- Births per 1,000 people in the population each year. Australia: 10.7 (2024).
- Replacement level
- The fertility rate needed for a population to replace itself without migration — about 2.1 babies per woman.
- Age-specific fertility rate
- Births per 1,000 women in a given age group, such as 30–34. Used to see when women are having children.
- Net reproduction rate
- The average number of daughters per woman who survive to childbearing age. Australia: 0.71 (2024).
- Completed cohort fertility
- The average number of children women born in the same year actually had by age 49. For women who turned 49 in 2024: 2.03.
Australian birth rate FAQ
What is the birth rate in Australia?
The most recent official figures are for 2024, when 292,318 births were registered in Australia and the total fertility rate was 1.481 babies per woman, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The crude birth rate was 10.7 births per 1,000 people.
Is Australia's birth rate falling?
Yes. Australia's total fertility rate has fallen for most of the past decade, from 1.795 in 2014 to a record low of 1.481 in 2024. The number of births has held up better, at around 285,000 to 315,000 a year, because the population — and the number of women of childbearing age — has grown.
What is the replacement fertility rate?
Replacement level is around 2.1 babies per woman: the rate needed for each generation to replace itself, without migration. Australia's total fertility rate has been below replacement every year since 1976.
How many babies are born in Australia each year?
Around 285,000 to 315,000 births have been registered in Australia each year since 2008. There were 292,318 registered births in 2024 and 286,998 in 2023. The highest number on record was 315,147 in 2018.
What is the average age of mothers in Australia?
The median age of mothers was 32.1 years in 2024 — the oldest on record — and the median age of fathers was 33.9 years. Women aged 30 to 34 now have the highest fertility rate of any age group.
Which state has the highest birth rate in Australia?
In 2024 the Northern Territory had the highest total fertility rate (1.629 babies per woman), followed by Victoria (1.521) and Queensland (1.505). The Australian Capital Territory had the lowest, at 1.273. New South Wales registered the most births (86,978).
How common are twins in Australia?
In 2024, 1.5% of births involving at least one live-born baby were multiple births: 4,129 sets of twins and 62 sets of triplets or more. South Australia and the ACT had the highest share of multiple births (1.7%).
When will the 2025 birth statistics be released?
The ABS has scheduled its next Births, Australia release, covering 2025, for 6 November 2026. We'll update this page when the new figures are published.
Sources & notes
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Births, Australia, 2024 — released 15 October 2025. All figures are for births registered in each calendar year unless stated.
- Centre for Population, 2025 Population Statement — fertility projection for 2025–26.
- Daily figures on this page are our own calculations from ABS annual totals.