Australia’s declining birth rates and ageing population present a long-term challenge to economic stability, yet current anti-migration policies risk overlooking a key solution. With fertility rates remaining well below the replacement level for half a century, the country’s future workforce and pension systems may increasingly rely on overseas workers. A new intergenerational report highlights the tension between political rhetoric and demographic reality, suggesting migration could play a critical role in sustaining growth. The debate raises questions about how policy will adapt to these structural shifts.
The population is ageing and we’re having fewer babies. Labor should keep that in mind as the migration debate ragesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe intergenerational report lays bare how today’s growing anti-migration rhetoric clashes with a future where we need to attract people from overseas to help grow the economy and pay for our ageing population.The “replacement” fertility rate is 2.1 children per woman – this is the average number of births to keep the population steady without migration and we’ve been below this level for 50 years. Continue reading...
