2023 Australia's birth rate drops to lowest since 2006 due to cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty.

Australia's birth rate has dropped to its lowest since 2006, with 289,100 babies born in 2023 - a 4.6% year-on-year decline and 26,000 fewer births than the previous year. This "baby recession" is attributed to rising cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty, with many families delaying having children or choosing not to have more. Fertility rates were lowest in CBD and surrounding areas.