How does Australia rank for fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious?

Australia ranks 146th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious rising or falling in Australia?

Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Australia data come from?

The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious in Australia

Name: Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious in Australia
Creator: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Australia: Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious was 1.64 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

1.64 live births per woman

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

146th

of 236 countries

All-time high

3.54 live births per woman

in 1961

All-time low

1.59 live births per woman

in 2020

Years of data

1950–2023

Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious in Australia, 1950–2023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.

Analysis

The most recent figure for fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious in Australia is 1.64 live births per woman, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 13.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious in Australia peaked at 3.54 live births per woman in 1961 and was at its lowest, 1.59 live births per woman, in 2020.

Australia ranks 146th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	3.26 live births per woman	3.06 live births per woman	3.44 live births per woman	10
1960s	3.14 live births per woman	2.85 live births per woman	3.54 live births per woman	10
1970s	2.36 live births per woman	1.91 live births per woman	2.95 live births per woman	10
1980s	1.89 live births per woman	1.84 live births per woman	1.94 live births per woman	10
1990s	1.83 live births per woman	1.76 live births per woman	1.91 live births per woman	10
2000s	1.85 live births per woman	1.74 live births per woman	2.02 live births per woman	10
2010s	1.82 live births per woman	1.67 live births per woman	1.95 live births per woman	10
2020s	1.63 live births per woman	1.59 live births per woman	1.65 live births per woman	4

Countries ranked near Australia

143 New Zealand 1.67 live births per woman compare
144 Colombia 1.65 live births per woman compare
145 France 1.64 live births per woman compare
147 Saint Helena 1.64 live births per woman compare
148 Turkey 1.62 live births per woman compare
149 United States 1.62 live births per woman compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Australia

World population growth 0.5% (2100)
Population density 5.61 people per km² (2100)
Number of children under 5, by world region 2.09 million people (2100)
Population growth rate, by level of development 0.5% (2100)
Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.48 births per woman (2024)
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.48 births per woman (2024)
Refugees by country of asylum 29,511 people (2024)
Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.48 births per woman (2024)
Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 1.63 children per women (2023)
Birth rate by women's age group 6.71 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 (2023)

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious in Australia?: Fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious in Australia was 1.64 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious recorded in Australia?: The highest recorded value was 3.54 live births per woman in 1961.
What is the lowest fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious recorded in Australia?: The lowest recorded value was 1.59 live births per woman in 2020.
How does Australia rank for fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious?: Australia ranks 146th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is fertility rate vs. share of people who are religious rising or falling in Australia?: Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?: The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious
Unit: live births per woman
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.