Median age of mothers at the birth of their child in New Zealand 1980-2018. In 2018, the median age of mothers at the birth of their first child in New Zealand was 30.5 years, significantly older than the average age in 1980.
The overall fertility rate in New Zealand is 1.99 births per woman and the average age for giving birth is 30. About one in 100 babies in this country will be born to a mother aged 40 or older. Compare this, broadly, to the United Kingdom, where about one in 25 babies are born to over-40s.
Do families still have 2.4 children? Whilst the global average in 2017 was holding fast at the traditional 2.4 children, the study revealed that women in New Zealand were, on average, having 2.1 children each. This compares with 1.7 in the UK, 1.8 in the USA and 1.9 in Australia.
While delivering at age 35 and older is officially considered “advanced maternal age,” Dr. Kalish notes that in reality, there's no “magic number” for being at-risk for complications. “A healthy 38-year-old could have an easier pregnancy than a 20-year-old who has multiple medical issues,” Dr. Kalish says.
If you're older than 35 and hoping to get pregnant, you're in good company. Many families are delaying pregnancy well into their 30s and beyond — and delivering healthy babies. Taking special care can help give your baby the best start.
Spoonley says the reasons for this are, in fact, reasonably obvious: increased access for women to higher education, and participation in the job market. There are demographic shifts, too; women are having children much later in life.
New Zealanders marrying later in life
In 2021, the median age of males marrying was 32.2 years and 30.8 years for females. The median age for females in 2021 was tied with 2020 for the highest on record (the highest male median age was 32.6 years in 2006).
Among the more recent cohort, men's first births occurred at an average age of 27.5, 2.3 years later than in the late 1980s. Trends in mothers' age at first birth have been similar, rising two years between the late 1980s and today.
France has the highest fertility rate
In 2021, France had the highest fertility rate among the EU member states with 1.84 live births per woman according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU. Malta had the lowest rate with 1.13 live births. This average for the EU as a whole was 1.53.
In the United States, the highest fertility rates (per 1,000 women ages 15-44) during 2018-2020 (average) were to Hispanic women (64.8), followed by blacks (62.6), American Indian/Alaska Natives (60.8), Asian/Pacific Islanders (55.6) and Whites (55.3).
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate globally at 0.9 children per woman, closely followed by Puerto Rico at 1.0 and a trio of Malta, Singapore, and the Chinese Special Administrative Region Hong Kong all at 1.1 children per woman.
In 2022: 7,593 couples were granted divorces in New Zealand. There were 7.4 divorces for every 1,000 estimated existing marriages and civil unions, down from 9.9 in 2012. 5,853 children under 17 years of age had parents who were granted a divorce, down from 6,861 in 2012, and 8,946 in 2002.
French people wait longer to marry
If men still tend to be older than women at first marriage, the average age at marriage for both males and females increased from 2004 to 2018. In 2018, men were aged on average 38.4 at their first wedding, compared to 35.9 for women.
In 2018, the median duration of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand was 13.6 years, an increase from the duration recorded in 1996. The first civil unions in the country were celebrated in 2005, and the first same-sex marriages were celebrated in 2013.
Women are having fewer children than ever, according to data released by Statistics New Zealand in February, with New Zealand recording its lowest ever total fertility rate in 2018 of 1.71 children per woman, down from 1.81 in 2017.
In 2023, the fertility rate in Niger was estimated to be 6.73 children per woman. With a fertility rate of almost 7 children per woman, Niger is the country with the highest fertility rate in the world followed by Mali. The total population of Niger is growing at a fast pace.
The country's annual population growth has slowed further as more people leave the country. New Zealand's population is now at 5.12 million. Fresh data from Stats NZ showed the national population increased 0.2 percent for the year ended June, the lowest since the late 1980s.
Not optimal, but not selfish either
The point here is to look at some of the things which people say are selfish and realize that, while it may not be the “optimal conceiving time” there are plenty of reasons to have a child over forty and those reasons are not by definition selfish.
At the age of 37, the average woman has around 25,000 eggs left, and by the time she reaches 51, this will have fallen to 1,000. “Just before menopause, your egg supply reaches below 1,000, and ovulations space out before they stop altogether, eventually,” says Dr. Sekhon.
Definition of geriatric pregnancy
We define advanced maternal age (formerly geriatric pregnancy) as those who are 35 years or older at their estimated delivery date.
Most European countries have low fertility rates because various obstacles prevent people from having their desired number of children. The 'Reproductive decision-making in a macro-micro perspective' (REPRO) project was established to gain insights into these obstacles.
By contrast, the lowest total fertility rates in 2021 were recorded in Malta (1.13 live births per woman), Spain (1.19) and Italy (1.25).
In 2021, France had the highest total fertility in the EU (1.84 live births per woman), followed by Czechia (1.83), Romania (1.81) and Ireland (1.78). In contrast, the lowest fertility rates were seen in Malta (1.13 births per woman), Spain (1.19) and Italy (1.25).