February
Single this Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone
The central demographic story of modern times is rising rates of singledom; the data suggests there’s a global relationship recession among young adults.
Suburban Rail Loop is an intergenerational endowment to Melbourne
If incrementalism was allowed to paralyse previous Victorian governments, the city and state we know today would be a backwater.
January
Sydney’s housing downturn could end before election
The downturn in Sydney could end within months as interest rates drop, while Melbourne’s housing market is on track to recover earlier than expected.
Sydney, Melbourne to lead house price gains next year: KPMG
By December next year, Sydney is tipped to reclaim its top spot, with house prices expected to jump 7.8 per cent, followed by Melbourne’s 6 per cent gain.
December 2024
‘Courses in love’: China steps up campaign to promote marriage, babies
Universities have been asked to educate single students on relationships and regular articles appear in state media about the benefits of having children.
Ageing Australia to lean on millions more migrants: Treasury
The population is forecast to hit 31 million in a decade, as younger migrants pay for the increasing number of older people in aged care and the health system.
November 2024
Putin looks to Stalin for inspiration on women and babies
Several lawmakers and public figures have called for a tax on childlessness – much like the one imposed by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
October 2024
The sperm donor bros of big tech
Genetic largesse from some of Silicon Valley’s elite appears to be a mix of narcissism, altruism and dreams of immortality.
July 2024
Me, my niece and a generational shift in thinking about babies
The “happy accidents” that led to so many families having three or more children are a lot less likely to happen now.
Rich countries are paying women to procreate. It isn’t working
Despite subsidising each new child by $2 million, France has the lowest birth rate in modern history. Other countries have similar problems.
June 2024
We got it wrong on record migration: Treasury boss
Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy said the agency’s “frankly poor” forecasting owed to a failure to anticipate a sharp rise in foreign student numbers.
May 2024
How the world went from baby boom to baby bust
Helping people have the children they want in ways that fit with their plans should be a focus of policy. It is essential to help women combine careers with children.
April 2024
New Malthusians are wrong: a rich world will need less energy
We will need to generate only half the energy we do now to replace today’s electricity use, lift the global South, and feed all those data centres. So rejoice.
Everyone in Japan could have the same surname in 500 years
The Asian nation is the only country in the world that requires spouses to share the same last name.
Population decline will destroy the West as we know it
By 2100, the number of people worldwide will have peaked. The value of assets will drop and the incomes they generate will fall.
March 2024
Migration record after huge student intake
The country’s annual population growth of 2.5 per cent was the highest rate since 1952, keeping pressure on housing demand and infrastructure.
February 2024
Birth rates are falling. Why family-friendly policies are not enough
The stunning fertility collapse in some countries is “not primarily driven by economics or family policies”. It’s more to do with culture and psychology.
January 2024
Neighbourhood mall deal activity to pick up as cap rates rise to 6pc
The gap between buyer and seller expectations for neighbourhood malls has narrowed, providing fertile ground for more deals in 2024.
Let’s not give away this growth card
Migration once again seems likely to keep Australia out of more serious economic trouble. That makes it all the more important to get housing right.
December 2023
Labor starts long-term migration planning amid population boom
The inaugural ministerial migration roundtable comes amid growing concern about record numbers of foreign arrivals.