CANBERRA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australia's fertility rate has fallen to the lowest level on record amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday, there were 294,369 babies born in Australia in 2020, a 3.7 percent decrease from 2019.

As a result the total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.58 babies per woman, the lowest figure since records began in 1932.

It represents a 55.4 percent decline in TFR from a peak of 3.55 babies per woman in 1961.

For women aged 15-19 the TFR has declined by nearly two thirds since 1990 while it has also fallen significantly for those aged 20-24.

In contrast, the fertility rate for women aged 40-44 has almost tripled in the same time period, reflecting that Australians are waiting longer to have children.

Women aged 30-34 had the highest TFR at 110 babies per 1,000 women.

"The record low total fertility rate can be attributed to fewer births and birth registrations in most jurisdictions in a year marked by COVID-19 disruptions," Beidar Cho, director of demography at the ABS, said in a media release.

"The long-term decline in fertility of younger mums as well as the continued increase in fertility of older mums reflects a shift towards later childbearing. Together, this has resulted in a rise in median age of mothers (31.6 years) and a fall in Australia's total fertility rate." Enditem

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