Cost of living contributes to declining birth rate in Australia – Guardian

Australia’s birth rate is 1.7, well below the so-called replacement rate needed to sustain population growth, the latest official figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show, and there are reasons. economic for this, among other things.

The last time the birth rate was this low, Australia started “literally paying residents to have children”recalls the author of the article, the economic consultant Jessica Rosen. All official forecasts boil down to the fact that in the coming years the number of babies will only decrease.

According to surveys, three quarters of Australian women and 70% of men aged 20-24 have or want to have children. But four in five sexually active heterosexual women aged 16-49 in Australia use contraception.

But almost three-quarters of people without children say that being able to afford to have a child is an important factor in their decision-making. Consequently, the author considers it necessary to use economic incentives to increase the birth rate.

“Increasing benefits or lowering child care rates could help increase the population and increase participation in this process. With the cost of living skyrocketing, we can and must help parents.”Rosen concludes.

Source: Rossa Primavera