Australian Institute of Health and Welfare also finds average age was 30.1 in 2013, and first-time mothers have an average age of 28.6

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

More than one in five women giving birth in Australia are now aged 35 or over, the latest official figures show.

The latest birth data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows the proportion of mothers aged 35 and older who gave birth increased by four percentage points to 22% in the decade to 2013.

Indigenous death rate in childbirth comparable to developing countries Read more

Women who gave birth aged under 24 decreased from 19% to 17%; 30.1 years was the average age in 2013, up from 29.5 years a decade earlier. First-time mothers had an average age of 28.6 years, up from 27.8 years in 2003, the data shows.

Dr Greg Jenkins, an obstetrician and gynaecologist who runs a high-risk antenatal clinic in New South Wales, said most women in good health and with no complicating conditions could expect a healthy pregnancy, regardless of their age.

“Of course there are issues around fertility as women get older, and the chances of pregnancy do get less particularly from the age of 35, with fertility naturally declining from between 35 and 40,” Jenkins said.

“Generally as women get older they are more likely to have other medical disorders which may make pregnancy a bit more complicated, things like blood pressure problems and pre-diabetes. But in saying that, if a woman is in good health, older mums can expect a healthy pregnancy and a good outcome.”

Jenkins had noticed a definite increase in the age women were giving birth compared with when he first began in the field two decades ago.



“Women may feel a bit more financially secure and in a better place in their lives when they’re around 30, and feel more confident in managing a prregnancy,” he said.

“There are always pros and cons to giving birth younger or older, and it’s up to each woman to make an informed decision for herself, factoring in it may take a little while to get pregnant, and she may wish to have more than one.”

A caesarean must be a choice – whatever the circumstances | Lisa Hallgarten Read more

Just over half of women aged over 40 had their baby delivered via caesarean, compared with 18% of teenage mothers.

The average age of women who used assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF, was 34.3 years, the data found, and the proportion of multiple pregnancies was seven times higher than other mothers among this age group. However, data was not available for all states, making it difficult to get a strong overall picture of assisted reproductive technology use and outcomes.

Jonathan Morris, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Sydney, is conducting research into pregnancy, assisted reproductive technology, birth age, and complications. He expects the findings to be published within the next few months.

“The reality is, women are having their babies older, and we don’t want to unduly scare ... women who are making their own choices or having babies later due to their life circumstances,” he said.

“We need more solid data around the risks.”

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data also revealed that fewer women smoke during pregnancy; in 2013, 12% smoked, down from 15% in 2009.

Smoking is the most common preventable risk factor for pregnancy complications, an institute spokeswoman, Dr Fadwa Al-Yaman, said.

“It is associated with poorer perinatal outcomes including low birthweight, pre-term birth and perinatal death,” she said.

The rate of low birthweight was twice as high among babies of women who smoked during pregnancy and among babies born to Indigenous mothers, also 12%.