Contemporary fertility patterns in Australia: first data from the 1996 census

The results of the 1996 Census show that levels of fertility are falling for almost all categories of women and for women as a whole. Most young women would like to have at least two children but economic and social circumstances force them to curtail their preferences. Very low fertility is not in Australia’s interests. The solution lies not in forcing women out of the work force but in supporting them in their desire to combine work and family. Copyright. Monash University and the author/s