Fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia

Australia: Fertility vs unmet contraception was 1.48 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1.48
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
153rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.54
in 1961
All-time low
1.48
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia, 1960–2024

01234196019922024

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Australia recorded 1.48 for fertility vs unmet contraception in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.

The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 18.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia peaked at 3.54 in 1961 and was at its lowest, 1.48, in 2024.

Australia ranks 153rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.

Fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia, 1960 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1960 3.45 —
1961 3.54 +2.5%
1962 3.44 -2.8%
1963 3.33 -3.2%
1964 3.15 -5.6%
1965 2.98 -5.4%
1966 2.88 -3.2%
1967 2.85 -1.1%
1968 2.89 +1.4%
1969 2.89 -0.1%
1970 2.86 -0.9%
1971 2.96 +3.6%
1972 2.74 -7.3%
1973 2.49 -9.2%
1974 2.4 -3.8%
1975 2.15 -10.4%
1976 2.06 -4.1%
1977 2.01 -2.6%
1978 1.95 -2.9%
1979 1.91 -2.2%
1980 1.89 -0.8%
1981 1.94 +2.3%
1982 1.93 -0.3%
1983 1.92 -0.3%
1984 1.84 -4.4%
1985 1.92 +4.5%
1986 1.87 -2.9%
1987 1.84 -1.2%
1988 1.83 -0.8%
1989 1.84 +0.4%
1990 1.9 +3.5%
1991 1.85 -2.8%
1992 1.89 +2.1%
1993 1.86 -1.5%
1994 1.84 -0.9%
1995 1.82 -1.1%
1996 1.8 -1.4%
1997 1.78 -1.0%
1998 1.76 -0.9%
1999 1.75 -0.4%
2000 1.76 +0.1%
2001 1.74 -1.0%
2002 1.76 +1.0%
2003 1.75 -0.5%
2004 1.77 +1.1%
2005 1.81 +2.2%
2006 1.91 +5.6%
2007 1.96 +2.7%
2008 1.98 +1.3%
2009 1.97 -0.7%
2010 1.93 -2.2%
2011 1.93 -0.1%
2012 1.92 -0.3%
2013 1.85 -3.4%
2014 1.83 -1.6%
2015 1.81 -0.7%
2016 1.75 -3.4%
2017 1.74 -0.6%
2018 1.74 -0.1%
2019 1.66 -4.8%
2020 1.58 -4.6%
2021 1.7 +7.5%
2022 1.63 -4.1%
2023 1.5 -8.0%
2024 1.48 -1.2%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 1.48 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.45, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 1.48 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.12, 70% of the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 3.14 2.85 3.54 10
1970s 2.35 1.91 2.96 10
1980s 1.88 1.83 1.94 10
1990s 1.83 1.75 1.9 10
2000s 1.84 1.74 1.98 10
2010s 1.82 1.66 1.93 10
2020s 1.58 1.48 1.7 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 150 Argentina 1.5 compare
  2. 151 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.49 compare
  3. 152 French Polynesia 1.49 compare
  4. 154 Dominica 1.48 compare
  5. 154 Turkey 1.48 compare
  6. 156 Grenada 1.47 compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia?
Fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia was 1.48 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest fertility vs unmet contraception recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 3.54 in 1961.
What is the lowest fertility vs unmet contraception recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.48 in 2024.
How does Australia rank for fertility vs unmet contraception?
Australia ranks 153rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
Is fertility vs unmet contraception rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility vs unmet contraception. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Fertility vs unmet contraception in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/fertility-vs-unmet-contraception/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Fertility vs unmet contraception
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 13,943 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed