Births, Australia

Latest release

Births and fertility rates for Australia, states and territories, and sub-state regions

Reference period
2025
Release date and time
06/11/2026 11:30am AEDT

Key statistics

  • There were 299,903 registered births in 2025, an increase of 2.6% (or 7,585 births) from 2024.
  • The total fertility rate was 1.497 births per woman.
  • The median age was 32.1 years for mothers and 33.9 years for fathers.
Summary statistics
 201520242025
Male births (no.)157,088150,299154,449
Female births (no.)148,289142,019145,454
Total births (no.)305,377292,318299,903
Total fertility rate(a)1.7961.4811.497
Sex ratio(b)105.9105.8106.2
Crude birth rate(c)12.810.710.9
Net reproduction rate(d)0.860.710.72
Completed cohort fertility rate(e)2.062.032.01
  1. Total fertility rate is the average number of registered births per woman aged 15 to 49 years.
  2. Sex ratio is the number of male births per 100 female births.
  3. Crude birth rate is the number of births per 1,000 estimated resident population.
  4. Net reproduction rate is the average number of daughters surviving to reproductive age per woman.
  5. Completed cohort fertility rate is the average number of children a specific group of women (born in the same year) have over their childbearing years (ages 15 to 49 years).

National

Occurrence of a birth and registration of a birth

Statistics in this publication are based on births registered in a calendar year (reference year) and reported to the ABS by Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each state and territory and on Norfolk Island.

Unless otherwise indicated, all data are based on year of registration. These data are final and are not updated.

Occurrence data available in Data downloads are updated in each annual release. For further information, please refer to Data Collection - Occurrence data and yearly updates in the Methodology.

Births registered

There were 299,903 births registered in 2025, an increase of 2.6% (or 7,585 births) from 2024. Of these:

  • 51.5% were males, resulting in a sex ratio at birth of 106.2 male births per 100 female births
  • 61.2% were to parents in a registered marriage.
  1. Data for 2025 show an increase of 7,585 births registrations. This increase partly reflects changes in registration processing times in some states and territories. For further information, please refer to Processing the data in the Methodology.

Median age of parents

Multiple births

Total fertility rate

The total fertility rate required for replacement is considered to be around 2.1 babies per woman to replace herself and her partner in the absence of overseas migration.

Australia's total fertility rate: 

  • was 1.497 babies per woman in 2025, higher than 2024 (1.481) 
  • was lower than the rate 10 years ago (1.796 in 2015)
  • has been below replacement since 1976.

Age-specific fertility rate

Completed cohort fertility rate (CCFR)

States and territories

Births registered

  • Western Australia recorded the largest proportional increase in births (7.8%).
  • South Australia had the least proportional change (-0.3%).
Births registered by state and territory of registration
State and territory of registration2024 (no.)2025 (no.)Change from 2024 to 2025 (no.)Change from 2024 to 2025 (%)
NSW(a)86,97893,3686,3907.3
Vic.(b)82,32880,504-1,824-2.2
Qld58,98659,6046181.0
SA18,51618,456-60-0.3
WA(c)30,51632,9022,3867.8
Tas.5,4835,6671843.4
NT3,4843,269-215-6.2
ACT6,0176,1221051.7
Aust.(d)292,318299,9037,5852.6
  1. The increase in birth registrations in New South Wales in 2025 (7.3%) was in part due to an improvement in registration processing times. For further information, please refer to Processing the data, New South Wales, in the Methodology.
  2. The number of births registered in Victoria in 2024 and 2025 is higher than recent years and was due to improvements in birth registration processing times in these years, following a period of registration processing delays. For further information, please refer to Processing the data, Victoria, in the Methodology.
  3. The increase in birth registrations in Western Australia in 2025 (7.8%) was in part due to the clearance of a backlog of birth registrations. For further information, please refer to Processing the data, Western Australia, in the Methodology.
  4. Includes births registered on Norfolk Island.

Median age of parents

The oldest median ages for mothers and fathers were in:

  • Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (32.8 years for mothers and 34.5 years for fathers)
  • New South Wales (32.2 years for mothers and 34.0 years for fathers).

The youngest median age for mothers was in:

  • the Northern Territory (30.8 years)
  • Tasmania (31.2 years).

The youngest median age for fathers was in:

  • Queensland and Tasmania (33.1 years)
  • the Northern Territory (33.2 years).
Median age of parents by state and territory of usual residence, 2025
State and territory of usual residenceMedian age of mothers (yrs)Median age of fathers (yrs)
NSW32.234.0
Vic.32.834.5
Qld31.333.1
SA32.033.7
WA32.133.9
Tas.31.233.1
NT30.833.2
ACT32.834.5
Aust.(a)32.133.9
  1. Includes Other Territories.

Multiple births

Total fertility rate

  • Tasmania recorded the highest total fertility rate (1.568 babies per woman).
  • The Australian Capital Territory had the lowest total fertility rate (1.283 babies per woman).
  1. The increase in birth registrations in New South Wales in 2025 (7.3%) was in part due to an improvement in registration processing times. For further information, please refer to Processing the data, New South Wales, in the Methodology.
  2. The number of births registered in Victoria in 2024 and 2025 is higher than recent years and was due to improvements in birth registration processing times in these years, following a period of registration processing delays. For further information, please refer to Processing the data, Victoria in the Methodology.
  3. The increase in birth registrations in Western Australia in 2025 (7.8%) was in part due to the clearance of a backlog of birth registrations. For further information, please refer to Processing the data, Western Australia, in the Methodology.
  4. The TFR for the Northern Territory can fluctuate from year to year due to factors including the relatively small number of births and birth registration processes.
  5. Includes Other Territories.

Net reproduction rate

Remoteness Areas

The  Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) defines Remoteness Areas for the purpose of releasing and analysing statistics. Remoteness Areas are derived from the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia Plus produced by the University of Adelaide.

Remoteness Areas divide Australia into five classes of remoteness on the basis of a measure of relative access to services. The five remoteness classes are:

  • Major Cities of Australia
  • Inner Regional Australia
  • Outer Regional Australia
  • Remote Australia
  • Very Remote Australia.

For further information, please refer to the Glossary in the Methodology.

The largest proportion of births were recorded in:

  • Major Cities of Australia (73.0%)
  • Inner Regional Australia (17.0%)
  • Outer Regional Australia (7.7%).

Remote and Very Remote areas of Australia recorded the smallest proportion of births (2.2% combined).

The highest total fertility rates were recorded in:

  • Remote Australia (1.96 babies per woman)
  • Outer Regional Australia (1.88 babies per woman)
  • Inner Regional Australia (1.86 babies per woman).

Major cities of Australia and Very Remote Australia recorded the lowest TFR (1.40 and 1.80 babies per woman).

Births, total fertility rate (TFR) and Estimated Resident Population (ERP) by Remoteness Areas, 2025
Remoteness AreasBirths (no.)Births (%)TFR

ERP(a)

(no.)

ERP(a) (%)
Major Cities of Australia219,06773.01.4020,143,758 72.9
Inner Regional Australia51,03317.01.864,801,485 17.4
Outer Regional Australia23,1307.71.882,156,945 7.8
Remote Australia3,9721.31.96310,127 1.1
Very Remote Australia2,7010.91.80201,339 0.7
Australia(b)299,903100.01.5027,614,411 100.0
  1. Estimated Resident Population is from Regional population by age and sex, 2025. For further information on populations used, please refer to Processing the data in the Methodology.
  2. Includes parents whose place of usual residence was in Other Territories, overseas, no fixed abode and undefined.

Median age of parents

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Summary statistics
20152024(a)2025(a)
Male births (no.)9,41312,89413,776
Female births (no.)9,12412,15512,957
Total births (no.)18,53725,04926,733
Total fertility rate (babies per woman)1.9952.1282.234
Sex ratio (males per 100 females)103.2106.1106.3
  1. From 2024, an additional data field on the birth registration form has been used to derive the Indigenous status of the child - whether the child was identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait origin. Caution is advised when interpreting time series data for New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. For further information, please refer to Change in how Indigenous status of births is derived in the Methodology.

Births registered

There were 26,733 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in 2025, an increase of 1,684 babies from 2024. This represents 8.9% of all births registered in 2025. 

  • New South Wales and Queensland recorded the highest number of births (9,541 and 7,594)
  • The Australian Capital Territory recorded the lowest number of births (341).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered by state and territory of registration
2015 (no.)2024(a) (no.)2025(a) (no.)
NSW5,9118,2949,541
Vic.1,3702,6862,660
Qld5,2487,5447,594
SA9491,1881,256
WA2,9852,9253,193
Tas.515705785
NT1,3651,3911,363
ACT194316341
Aust.(b)18,53725,04926,733
  1. Since 2024, an additional data field on the birth registration form has been used to derive the Indigenous status of the child - whether the child was identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait origin. Caution is advised when interpreting time series data for New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. For further information, please refer to Change in how Indigenous status of births is derived in the Methodology.
  2. Includes births registered on Norfolk Island.

Median age of parents

For 2025 Aboriginal and Torres Islander births, the median age of: 

  • mothers was 27.1 years
  • fathers was 29.1 years.

Total fertility rate

The total fertility rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women was 2.234 babies per woman. 

This is an increase from 2024 (2.128 babies per woman) and remains higher than 10 years ago (1.995 babies per woman in 2015).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander total fertility rate (babies per woman) by state and territory of usual residence
State and territory of usual residence20152024(a)2025(a)
NSW1.8042.0722.311
Vic.1.4942.2182.217
Qld2.0992.3492.329
SA1.8731.9222.039
WA2.9322.1982.338
Tas.1.3031.6781.882
NT1.9911.8651.869
ACT1.3811.5111.458
Aust.(b)1.9952.1282.234
  1. Since 2024, an additional data field on the birth registration form has been used to derive the Indigenous status of the child - whether the child was identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. Caution is advised when interpreting time series data for New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. For further information, please refer to Change in how Indigenous status of births is derived in the Methodology.
  2. Includes Other Territories.

Age-specific fertility rate

Data downloads

Data files

Methodology

Scope

All live-born births that occurred and were registered in Australia, including births to mothers whose place of usual residence was overseas.

 

Geography

Data available for:

  • Australia
  • States and territories
  • Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2)
  • Statistical Areas Level 3 (SA3)
  • Statistical Areas Level 4 (SA4)
  • Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA)
  • Remoteness Areas (RA)
  • Local Government Areas (LGA).

Source

Birth registration systems administered by Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each state and territory, and on Norfolk Island.

Collection method

Registered births reported to the ABS by Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each state and territory, and on Norfolk Island, using information provided by parents on birth registration forms.

Concepts, sources and methods

Not applicable to this release.

 

History of changes

Not applicable to this release.

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