Australia's birth rate is expected to plummet to a new record low after years of steady decline.

The nation's total fertility rate (TFR) has been below the replacement level of 2.1 children per adult woman for almost 50 years now.

But the situation has become more dire of late.

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In 2023, Australia's fertility rate hit a low of 1.49, then dipped to a record-breaking low of 1.48 in 2024.

The predicted rate for 2025 was about 1.45, according to new data from The Centre for Population.

And this year it's expected to fall even lower to 1.42, the lowest it has ever been.

These record lows have been driven by multiple overlapping factors, from more Aussies choosing to have kids later in life, to older women having fewer children.

Some families stop at one child for personal or financial reasons, as raising a multi-child family in Australia can be prohibitively expensive between the cost of groceries, housing and schooling.

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