Birthrate drops; Teen motherhood on the decline and mums over 40 are increasing in number

The birthrate is falling, according to the “baby face of the nation” report. Teenage mums are rarer but mums over 40 are a rising percentage of new parents.

The birthrate is falling, the average age of mums is rising, teen births are falling and the pandemic saw a slump in births, new data shows.

The rate of women giving birth in Australia has fallen from 66 per 1000 in 2007 to 56 per 1000 in 2020, according to the report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

In 2020, there were 295,796 babies born to 291,712 mothers in Australia, a fall of around 7100 compared with a year earlier as the pandemic hit.

More than nine in 10 of these babies were born at term and at a healthy birthweight.

The average age of all mothers has continued to increase, with the average age of mothers now 30.9 years, up from 30.0 years in 2010.

Caitlin O'Connell with her children Zara, 8, Harlow, 4 and Harvey, 10 months. Picture: Mark Brake

Over the same period the proportion of teenage mothers fell from 3.8 per cent to 1.8 per cent of women giving birth.

In contrast, there was a higher proportion of mothers aged 40 and over at 4.5 per cent in 2020 compared with 4.1 per cent in 2010.

Just over one-third of mothers – 37 per cent – gave birth by caesarean section in 2020, up from 32 per cent in 2010. Caesarean sections were more common among women aged 40 and over.

AIHW spokeswoman Deanna Eldridge said while the vast majority of babies were born healthy, in the past decade stillbirth rates have remained between seven and eight per 1000, and neonatal death rates have remained between two and three per 1000 live births.

“One of the most amazing and challenging times in a family is pregnancy and the welcoming of a new baby, but tragically some families experience the loss of their baby,” Ms Eldridge said.

Between 2010 and 2020, there was a large decrease in the number of mothers who reported smoking at some stage during their pregnancy, falling from 14 per cent to 9.2 per cent.

Mother-of-three Caitlin O’Connell, 27, had her first child, Zara, when she was 19.

Zara, now eight, and her sister Harlow, four, dote on baby brother Harvey, 10 months and Ms O’Connell said motherhood can be challenging as well as rewarding.

“Everyone is different but I wouldn’t leave it too late in life to have children as it can get a bit tiring — but having these children is wonderful,” she said.