Australian birth rate lowest since 2006

Australia's birth rate has continued to fall, reaching its lowest point since 2006, according to figures released on Friday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

However, there were more older mothers aged 40 to 44 years giving birth, the highest rate since the 1970s.

"We saw a total of 308,100 births in 2013, which is down on the 309,600 from the previous year," said Denise Carlton from the ABS.

"This fall in births - along with an increase in the number of women aged 15 to 49 years - contributed to Australia's total fertility rate falling from 1.93 in 2012 to 1.88 in 2013.

"But the trend among older mothers - those aged between 40 and 44 years - was reversed, and their fertility rate has continued to increase since its lowest point in the mid-1970s.

"Over the past 30 years, fertility rates for these older mums have nearly tripled, and today's results see the trend continuing. "

The statistics who that Australian women are also waiting until their late 20s to start families, with the average age of new mothers in 2013 at 29.