Maternal age
The age of mothers when they give birth can have implications for their experience of pregnancy and birth. Whilst most mothers have normal pregnancies and healthy babies regardless of age, mothers aged under 20 and mothers aged over 40 have an increased risk of complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes (AIHW 2018; Akseer et al. 2022; Diabelková et al. 2023; Montori et al. 2021).
The average age of mothers has been rising over time, from 28.9 in 1998 to 31.3 in 2023.
Average maternal age has risen for both first-time mothers (from 28.3 years in 2010 to 29.9 in 2023) and those who have given birth previously (from 31.3 years in 2010 to 32.3 in 2023).
The proportion of mothers aged under 20 has more than halved since 2010 (3.8% in 2010 compared with 1.6% in 2023), and the proportion of mothers aged 40 and over has increased (4.1% in 2010 compared with 5.2% in 2023).
In 2023, mothers were most commonly aged between 30 and 34 (more than one-third (37%) of all mothers); the proportion of mothers in this age group has risen gradually from 31% in 2010 (when it was also the highest proportion age group).
The proportion of First Nations mothers aged under 20 and 20-24 has been falling over time, (from 20% in 2010 to 9.6% in 2023 and from 32% to 29%, respectively), with a corresponding increase in those aged 25–29 (from 24% to 30%) and 30–34 (from 15% to 21%).
Figure 1 presents trend data on the maternal age group of women who gave birth, by selected maternal characteristics (including hospital sector, Indigenous status, parity, patient election status and state or territory of birth) between 2010 and 2023. Select the ‘Current data’ button to view 2023 data.
Figure 1: Proportion of women who gave birth, by maternal age group and selected topic
Bar chart shows maternal age group by selected topics and a line graph shows topic trends between 2010 and 2023.
For more information on:
- maternal age by state and territory, see National Perinatal Data Collection annual update table 2.1
- maternal age by selected topic, see National Perinatal Data Collection annual update data visualisations table 1.2
- maternal age for First Nations mothers, see Maternal age in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2018) Teenage mothers in Australia 2015, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 15 June 2022.
Akseer N, Keats EC, Thurairajah P, Cousens S, Bétran AP, Oaks BM, Osrin D, Piwoz E, Gomo E, Ahmed F, Friis H, Belizán J, Dewey K, West K, Huybregts L, Zeng L, Dibley MJ, Zagre N, Christian P, Kolsteren PW, Kaestel P, Black RE, Arifeen SE, Ashorn U, Fawzi W, Bhutta ZA and The Global Young Women’s Nutrition Investigators Group (2022) ‘Characteristics and birth outcomes of pregnant adolescents compared to older women: An analysis of individual level data from 140,000 mothers from 20 RCTs’, eClinicalMedicine, 45:101309, doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101309.
Diabelková J, Rimárová K, Dorko E, Urdzik P, Houžvičková A and Argalášová L (2023) ‘Adolescent pregnancy outcomes and risk factors’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5):4113, doi:10.3390/ijerph20054113.
Montori MG, Martínez AÁ, Álvarez CL, Cuchí NA, Alcalá PM and Ruiz-Martínez S (2021) ‘Advanced maternal age and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A cohort study’, Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 60(1):119–124, doi:10.1016/j.tjog.2020.11.018.