Baby boom despite Aussie men leaving it late

BIRTH rate rises to new heights, with record 297,900 babies born last year. But average age of first-time dads rises to 33.1.

AUSTRALIAN birth rates are rising to new heights, with a record 297,900 babies born last year.

And experts say the surge is down to Australia's confidence in its financial future.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released yesterday shows about 2200 more births were recorded between 2009 and 2010.

But despite the record number of new arrivals, the fertility rate dropped.

The figures also reveal that the average age of a new father rose to 33.1 and that average age of a new mother in 2010 was 30.7.

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KPMG demographer Bernard Salt linked the birth rate to how well Australia weathered the global financial crisis.

"People have babies when they are confident of the future," he said.

"It's a reflection that we have come through the economic uncertainty very strongly and it hasn't diminished our confidence in the future."

The birth rate peaked in 2008 at 296,600 but dropped the following year to 295,738.

The 2010 national fertility rate dropped only 0.01 per cent to 1.89 babies per woman and, although the rate was at 1.96 in 2008, it is still considered high for Australia.

The current US fertility rate is about 2.1 and only 1.1 in Japan.

ABS demographer Claire Wyatt said it was unexpected when birth numbers fell in 2009, but they were back on track.

"As the population is growing, you expect there will be increases in the number of births because there are more women to give birth," Ms Wyatt said.

More boys were born, with a ratio of 105 boys to 100 girls.