The national birth rate has hit a record low and is now at a critical level, with economic consequences for the future.
Australia has bounced back from low fertility rate s before in similar economic circumstances, and demographers say the nation can do it again.
The birth rate for girls and women aged 15 to 19 has fallen by more than two thirds over that period."We've got to a position where young people are saying now is inhospitable to having children," Dr Allen said."I'm not talking oodles and oodles of children — I'm talking a child, maybe a second one."
Dr Allen said the reason why dropping below a birth rate of 1.5 would make it so hard to come back up again was that having so few new babies coming through hampers economic growth, which in turn leads people to have even fewer babies.Many, the demographer said, lack enthusiasm about the future, and that relates to their views on climate change, housing affordability and gender equality.
"If you look at the international data and you look at countries who have slipped below 1.5 — places like Italy, South Korea, Japan — and in those countries you do start to have this demographic time bomb starting to go off," he said."There's less and less workers being able to generate economic activity, people start to leave the country due to a lack of economic opportunities, and you do start to have a slippery slope towards a declining population.
Australia's Fertility Rate Hits Rock Bottom Why Is The Fertility Rate Important? Demographer Liz Allen Impact Of Low Birth Rate On Economy Why Aren't People Having Babies Anymore? Terry Rawnsley Climate Anxiety Tfr
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