Australia projects deaths will exceed births in the 2060s

Australia’s Treasury projects that deaths will exceed births for the first time in the 2060s as fertility declines and the population ages. Its 2026 Intergenerational Report expects average annual population growth to slow from 1.4% over the past 40 years to 0.9% over the next 40. Net overseas migration is projected to continue supporting overall growth after natural increase ends. The distinction matters: this is a long-range scenario for public-service and fiscal planning, not a forecast of imminent population decline. Treasury also expects ageing to increase demand for health and aged-care workers, with older regions facing greater labour shortages. This briefing covers 2026-09-19T17:07:46.093Z through 2026-09-21T05:07:46.093Z. The timestamp is Reuters page publication metadata, not the report’s release time.

Australia projects deaths will exceed births in the 2060s

Treasury projects natural population increase will end in the 2060s