Skip to main content
Log in

Fertility of Australian birth cohorts: Components and differentials

  • Published:
Journal of the Australian Population Association Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper examines the change in the level and pattern of fertility that took place in the post-1971 period, and the downward completed fertility of successive generations of Australian women born since 1933–37. The change in cohort fertility is assessed in terms of the cohort parity progression ratios, and the four components of cohort total fertility: the proportion of women who proceeded to have a birth, mean age at first birth, mean age at last birth, and average interbirth interval for women who had at least two births. The other aspects discussed are the cohort fertility differentials and the implications of the current trends for future fertility in Australia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adam, A.Y. 1991. Convergence of the two-child family norm in Australia.Journal of the Australian Population Association 8:77–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armitage, B. and P. Babb. 1996. Population review: (4). Trends in fertility. InPopulation Trends 84:7–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. Various years.Births, Australia. Catalogue No. 3301.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. Various years.Marriages and Divorces, Australia. Catalogue No. 3310.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. Various years.Australian Social Trends. Catalogue No. 4102.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. Various years.Projections of the Populations of Australia, States and Territories. Catalogue No. 3222.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. Various years.Labour Force, Australia. Catalogue No. 6202.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1985.Family Formation and Dissolution 1982. Catalogue No. 4411.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1986.Australian Demographic Trends. Catalogue No. 3102.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1992a.Australia’s Families, Selected Findings from the Survey of Families in Australia. Catalogue No. 4418.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1992b.Families in Australia: A Guide to Content and Procedures. Catalogue No. 4415.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1992c.Fertility in Australia. Catalogue No. 2514.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1993.Women in Australia. Catalogue No. 4113.0. Canberra.

  • Kiernan, K. 1993. The future of partnership and fertility. In R. Cliquet (ed.),The Future of Europe’s Population: A Scenario Approach. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kravdal, O. 1996. How the local supply of day-care centers influences fertility in Norway: a parity-specific approach.Population Research and Policy Review 15:201–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, P. 1988. How fertility changed during the baby boom.Demoz 24.

  • Monnier, A. and C. de Guibert-lantoine. 1996. La conjoncture demographique: L’Europe et les pays developpes d’outre-mer.Population 4/5:1020–1021.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Health Statistics. 1996.Advance Report on Final Natality Statistics, 1994.

  • Monthly vital statistics report 44(11), supplement. Washington D.C. Ruzicka, Lado T. and John C. Caldwell. 1977.The End of Demographic Transition in Australia, Australian Family Formation Project, Monograph No. 5. Canberra: The Australian National University.

  • Statistics Canada. 1994.Canada Yearbook. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistics New Zealand. 1996.New Zealand Official Yearbook. Wellington: New Zealand Department of Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. 1995.World Population Prospects, The 1994 Revision. St/ESA/Ser.A/145. New York: United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Statistical Office. Various years.Demographic Yearbook. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. New York: United Nations.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jain, S.K., McDonald, P.F. Fertility of Australian birth cohorts: Components and differentials. Journal of Population Research 14, 31–46 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029485

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029485

Keywords

Navigation