New Zealand birthrate sinks to its lowest ever

Just 1.61 births per woman of child-bearing age recorded in 2020 amid economic uncertainty and acceptance of child-free lifestyles

New Zealand’s birthrate dropped to its lowest ever level in 2020, well below the population replacement rate of 2.1.

According to Statistics New Zealand, the country’s total fertility rate dropped to 1.61 births per woman of child-bearing age (15–49 years), the latest fall in a decade-old trend.