Pro-natalist, Australia

Background Information

Australia is considered the most sparely populated continent in terms of the population density, 2.6 persons per km2. Like most of the developed countries are having problems with the issues of population, Australia is not exceptional. In fact, there has been the substantial fall in fertility rates since 1960s. Australia’s total fertility rate has declined from 3.5 in 1961 to 1.73 in 2001, and in 2007 was 1.93 babies per woman with two child families the most common type.

Also, there are concerns of the ageing of the Australian population, implying that there are fewer babies being born compared with a number of elderly population increased by life expectancy. Australia's population is ageing and the evidence for this demographic change is undeniable. The result of falling fertility, increasing life expectancy and the effect of the baby boomer generation moving through older age groups, has contributed to an increase in the number and proportion of people aged over 65 years. These trends are anticipated to continue and numbers of people aged over 65 years and proportions of people over 85 years are growing while proportion of the population aged between 15 and 64 years (labor force age) are falling.

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The main cause of the falling fertility rates is the increased empowerment of women. In Australia, greater numbers of females are likely to participate in higher education and in the workplace. This certainly impacts on the delay of the marriages as well as the maternal ages for first-child-birth. In addition, there are less secure marriages, evident in higher divorce rates and expanded and easy access to family planning. The most underlying reason is the higher coats of housing and raising a family (economic concerns), leading to make married couples have only one child or not to have babies.    

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A very good review of the pro-natalist population policy in Australia. It would benefit from greater use of data in places, but otherwise successfully reviews the policy that is in place. 4 stars