Australians are having fewer babies than ever before. The fertility rate has hit a record low of 1.48 births per woman in 2024 — a 25% drop from the last peak of 2.02 in 2008. That means 23,000 fewer babies were born in 2024 compared to 2018, even though the population grew by about two million people.

So what's going on? A new study says you might want to look at the phone in your hand.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati linked the decline in teen fertility to the rise of smartphones. Their study, published in May, found that births fell fastest in US and UK areas that got high-speed mobile connectivity earliest. Another study this week went further: the iPhone alone can explain 33 to 52% of the drop in births among American women aged 15 to 44.

"Don't you own a TV?" — the joke NSW South Coast mum-of-five Steph Powell had to laugh off when she announced her youngest son.

Smartphones have slashed in-person socialising among young people. The lost art of the approach — remember that? — is on life support. Dating apps have been "gamified," porn is everywhere, and the first iPhone launched in 2007, just before the Global Financial Crisis. That crisis effectively ended a decade of steady or rising fertility in Australia.

But it's not just about phones. Cost is a massive factor. Raising a child today costs as much as a small mortgage. Exclusive Resolve Political Monitor polling found 42% of respondents cited cost as a reason they chose not to have children. Among 25-to-35-year-olds, 50% have never had kids.

Most people under 45 (68%) still say they have or will have children. But the share opting for just one child is rising. Among 35-to-45-year-olds, 25% have only one child — 10 percentage points higher than those over 45. Only 9% of 18-to-45-year-olds have three or more kids, compared to 27% of those over 45.

The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey shows the "preference for small families" or no children has jumped over the past 20 years.

Teenage pregnancies are way down. In 2023, only 1.6% of mothers gave birth under 20 — less than half the 2010 rate of 3.8%. That's partly thanks to long-term contraception becoming more popular and accessible. Abortion was progressively decriminalised from 2002, but the drop is linked to contraception, not terminations.

It's a win for reproductive freedom — teenage motherhood often leads to poorer health and poverty for both mother and child. But there's a downside. A La Trobe University study in May found Australia's sexual health education is not fit for purpose. Condom use among teens is at a 30-year low, driving up sexually transmitted infections.

Language matters in this debate. Experts say that's because the ask on mothers is "impossible."

We're also seeing "beanpole families" — long and thin family lines with few aunts, uncles, and cousins. More resources can be focused on fewer kids, but as the older generation ages, there are fewer children to help.

For now, migration is offsetting the low birth rate. But in the long run, fewer babies mean an older population, a smaller workforce, and big economic changes. Australia is going to have to figure out how to deal with a future where there just aren't as many kids around.

  • Fertility rate: 1.48 in 2024, down 25% from 2.02 in 2008
  • 23,000 fewer births in 2024 vs 2018
  • 50% of 25–35-year-olds have never had children
  • 42% cite cost as reason for not having kids
  • iPhone linked to 33–52% of US birth decline among 15–44-year-olds
  • Under-20 mothers: 1.6% in 2023 vs 3.8% in 2010