There is a seemingly endless stream of news headlines about plummeting birth rates. Many have alarmist narratives about the perils of “baby busts” and “population decline”. This reflects a deep-seated anxiety about what declining birth rates mean for the future of society.
In 2023, Australia’s birth rate declined to the lowest level ever recorded of 1.5 births per woman. But declining birth rates have long been an issue of public concern. Even as early as 1903, the New South Wales government established a Royal Commission on the decline of the birth rate.
