A new study from KPMG Australia shows the country is in the midst of a baby recession as births across the country fall by 4.6 percent year on year. The number of births in 2023 was the lowest since 2006 as cost of living pressures impact the feasibility of younger Aussies to have kids.

During 2023, 289,100 babies were born in Australia, a significant reduction from the 2021 post-lockdown spike which saw 315,200 babies born.

However, Canberra was the only capital city to see no drop in births since 2019, holding steady at 5,530 in both 2019 and 2023.

KPMG Urban Economist Terry Rawnsley explains, “CPI growth in Canberra has been slightly subdued compared to that in other major cities, and the economic outlook has remained strong. This means families have not been hurting as much as those in other capital cities, and in turn, we’ve seen a stabilisation of births in the ACT.”

Here’s why Hit 104.7’s Wilko & Courts think the baby rate is remaining steady in the nation’s capital…