title: Does Australia's low fertility matter?
abstract: The author discusses the future effects of below-replacement fertility in Australia.  "Continued below-replacement fertility would lead to a smaller maximum population, followed by population decline and an even older age structure.  This paper argues that there is no need to increase the population and that a more mature age structure promises a number of benefits. Population growth imposes further costs on the already stressed natural environment and on the cities, and no economic benefits clearly offset these costs."  Government policy to promote migration into Australia as a means of encouraging population growth is compared to the possible impact of a pronatalist policy.  The author argues that social policies designed to reduce hardships faced by mothers are inherently desirable even if their demographic effects are uncertain.
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D016656:Family Planning Policy; D005298:Fertility; D005544:Forecasting; D010139:Pacific Islands; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011158:Population Growth; D011640:Public Policy; D012106:Research; D013223:Statistics as Topic
keywords: Australia; Below Replacement Fertility; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Estimation Technics; Fertility; Migration Policy; Natural Increase; Oceania; Policy; Population; Population Decrease; Population Dynamics; Population Growth; Population Policy; Population Projection; Pronatalist Policy; Research Methodology; Social Policy