Dynamics of childbearing in Australia in the first decade of the 21st Century

Childbearing is a recurrent social and political concern in Australia because fertility is a major driver of
population size and composition. The number of children born to Australian women increased in the 2000s.
In this decade, there have also been changes in family policy, partnering patterns, the sharing of child care
and domestic work, childbearing preferences, and attitudes towards work and family. The proposed research
examines the relative role of social and policy determinants of fertility preferences and behaviour in the last
decade, using rich longitudinal data and employing robust statistical methods. An improved understanding of
influences on childbearing will inform policy in several areas, including family and population.