It seems Aussies are a festive bunch! The most popular day for babies to be born in Australia has just been revealed, and it points to plenty of Christmas-time baby making in the land down under.
The most common birthday for Aussie babies is September 17, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest figures. In fact, out of the top five common birthdays, three are in September – which means lots of bubs are being conceived around Christmas or New Year’s. Time to pop the cork!
Most common Australian birthdays
It’s the first time this fascinating data has been released to the public. Birth data spanning ten years from 2007 – 2016 shows that two of the least common birthdays are in December, but of course, February 29 tops the chart. And public holidays are also unpopular days to be born.
“These trends are similar in New Zealand, England and Wales, and the United States,” explained Beidar Cho, ABS Director of Demography. “More babies are likely to be conceived around the Christmas/New Year holidays, resulting in more babies born in September and October. Fewer babies are born on public holidays – possibly a result of doctors scheduling deliveries on non-public holidays.”
In 2016 there were 311,104 registered births in Australia, more than three-quarters of those were in NSW, and just over half were boys.
How old is the average Aussie mum?
The new stats also revealed that the average age of mums in Australia continues to increase. In 2016, women between 30 and 34 had the highest fertility rate. The ACT has the highest median age of both mums and days (32 and 34 years old), followed by Victoria.
It seems Aussies don’t much care for giving birth during holidays, but we’re quite happy to make babies while relaxing on a break. Ah, Australia – don’t ever change.
Make sure you take a look at which baby names were the most popular this year.
