Australia’s fertility rate rebounds to pre-Covid levels but Jim Chalmers issues warning on ageing population

Federal government’s population statement forecasts births for 2021-22 will be 1.66 babies per woman

Australia’s fertility rate rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2020-21, according to a snapshot from the federal government’s latest population statement.

In 2020-21, the fertility rate was 1.66 babies per woman, similar to the rate recorded in 2018-19. In 2019-20, the rate had fallen to 1.61 babies per woman.

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