There has been an increasing incline towards
single-child families, reveals a recent study.
The study looked at women born between 1973 and 1978 - now aged 31 to
36 - and found that most wanted to have children.
"However, the popularity of the single-child family increased across
surveys as the women became older, while the popularity of larger
families of two or more children started to decline," the Daily
Telegraph quoted the authors as saying.
"Decisions to have fewer children could reflect the ages at which women
are having their first children," they added.
There had been a generational shift from families of four or more
children for women born between 1921 and 1926 to many of today's
30-somethings yet to start a family and desiring only one child, the
authors said.
"This poses challenges across the spectrum of policies for the
national government, particularly in the area of
Health-care
provision," said Health Minister Nicola Roxon.
"We're seeking to tackle these challenges head-on through
targeted investments to provide more choice for potential
mothers," he added.
The findings were established by the Women's Health Australia study,
which has been running for 14 years.
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