The latest report by Australia’s national health and wellbeing agency has revealed that the country has hit its lowest birth rate in 13 years, as the average age of first-time parents continues to increase.
Australia’s birth rate fell considerably between 2007 and 2020, from 66 per 1,000 to 56 per 1,000.
During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of babies born declined by about 7,100, or a drop of over two percent, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.
The average age of all mothers has steadily increased over time, with mothers now giving birth at 30.9, up from 30 in 2010.
The proportion of mothers aged 40 and over has also climbed from 4.1 percent to 4.5….