Perth has recorded the strongest growth in births of any Australian capital as affordability and lifestyle concerns drive families west.
Perth has emerged as the national leader in birth rate recovery, posting the strongest year-on-year growth of any Australian capital city as families head west.
New data compiled by KPMG from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows nearly 27,000 babies were born in Perth in the past year; 5.7 per cent increase from 2023.
The city’s fertility rate rose to 1.63 — higher than the national average of 1.51 and reversing a broader trend of falling birth rates across other capitals.
KPMG urban economist Terry Rawnsley said Perth was “doing the heavy lifting” in Australia’s population growth.
“Young families can find a decent-sized block much closer to the city than they can in Sydney or Melbourne for just a fraction of the price,” Mr Rawnsley said.
The outer suburbs were the engine of the rebound: Armadale–Wungong–Brookdale recorded 486 births, followed by Byford (463), Baldivis–South (407), Beechboro (400), and Cannington–Queens Park (382).
Perth Total Fertility Rate
Photo: KPMG Analysis, ABS Births, Australia. Note: 2024 estimate is preliminary and subject to revision
These areas were identified as offering affordable housing, family infrastructure and larger homes.
The growth coincides with a nationwide 2.6 per cent recovery in births in 2024, to 292,500.
However, this remains below the pre-pandemic figure of 304,000 in 2019.
Mr Rawnsley attributed the earlier fall in births — described as a “baby recession” — to cost-of-living pressures, including high rents, mortgages and childcare costs.
He noted that increases in disposable household income this year may support a further recovery in 2025.
“Those with a little more cash in the bank are now turning their attention to having a family again,” he said.
Across regional Australia, birth rates continued to climb, with a 3.9 per cent rise in the last year to nearly 95,000 births.
Western Australia’s regions outpaced other states, with births outside Perth increasing by 8 per cent year-on-year.
Mr Rawnsley said pandemic-era migration out of major cities was still influencing regional demographics.
“These regions are now feeling the long-term benefits of that migration as their relative affordability has allowed people to put down roots and start families.”
Some regional centres hit record levels: Geelong recorded 4,120 births in 2024, a 7.6 per cent increase and the highest on record.
Newcastle and Darwin also posted strong growth of 4.6 and 5.2 per cent, respectively.
Australian Total Fertility Rate
Photo: KPMG Analysis, and ABS Births, Australia. Note: Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime if she follows the current fertility rates for each age group.
Despite these gains, Mr Rawnsley warned that birth rates remain below replacement level.
He said Australia’s current fertility rate of 1.51 is well under the 2.1 needed to sustain long-term population growth.
“The birth rate is set to reach 300,000 over the next year,” he explained.
“But it will still be some time before we exceed the magic 350,000 figure needed to sustain our way of life well into the 21st century.”
