Fertility rate: births per woman in Australia
Australia: Fertility rate: births per woman 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
74
1950–2023
Fertility rate: births per woman in Australia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate: births per woman in Australia stood at 1.64 live births per woman.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman 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.
That places Australia 146th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Fertility rate: births per woman in Australia, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.06 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 3.06 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 3.18 live births per woman | +3.8% |
| 1953 | 3.19 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 3.19 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 3.27 live births per woman | +2.5% |
| 1956 | 3.33 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 1957 | 3.42 live births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1958 | 3.42 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1959 | 3.44 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 3.45 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 3.54 live births per woman | +2.6% |
| 1962 | 3.42 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1963 | 3.33 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1964 | 3.15 live births per woman | -5.6% |
| 1965 | 2.98 live births per woman | -5.3% |
| 1966 | 2.88 live births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 2.85 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 2.89 live births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 2.89 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 2.86 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 2.95 live births per woman | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 2.74 live births per woman | -7.0% |
| 1973 | 2.49 live births per woman | -9.1% |
| 1974 | 2.38 live births per woman | -4.7% |
| 1975 | 2.21 live births per woman | -7.1% |
| 1976 | 2.06 live births per woman | -6.5% |
| 1977 | 2.02 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 1.96 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1979 | 1.91 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 1.9 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 1.94 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 1.94 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.93 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 1.87 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1985 | 1.9 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 1.87 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 1.85 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 1.84 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 1.84 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 1.91 live births per woman | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 1.86 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 1.89 live births per woman | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 1.86 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 1.85 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 1.82 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 1.8 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 1.78 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 1.76 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 1.76 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 1.76 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.74 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 1.76 live births per woman | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 1.76 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 1.78 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 1.85 live births per woman | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 1.88 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 1.99 live births per woman | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 2.02 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 1.97 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 1.95 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 1.92 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 1.93 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.88 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 1.8 live births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 1.8 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.79 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.75 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 1.74 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.67 live births per woman | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 1.59 live births per woman | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 1.65 live births per woman | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 1.64 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.64 live births per woman | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.64 live births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.5 live births per woman, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.64 live births per woman is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13 live births per woman, 77% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
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
More population data for Australia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.5755 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2553 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 32,193 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8589 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.2773 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in Australia?
- Fertility rate: births per woman 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: births per woman recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.54 live births per woman in 1961.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.59 live births per woman in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- Australia ranks 146th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman 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: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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.