Campus Review Vol 30. Issue 04 | April 2020 | Seite 23

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A closed playground in Melbourne. Photo: Quinn Rooney
Prepare for baby drought
COVID-19 may affect birth rate,
relationships and population.
By Wade Zaglas
A
leading demographer believes
Australians will be less likely to
have babies, and the nation will
experience changes in population and the
way we form relationships as the COVID-19
uncertainty drags on.
Dr Liz Allen, a population expert at the
Australian National University, says the
virus and the fear accompanying it will alter
our country’s demographics and “result in
serious socioeconomic consequences”.
“Research shows people are less likely to
have children in a period of uncertainty and
scarcity,” Allen says.
“A baby boom is unlikely to happen
during the COVID-19 crisis. After severe
events, we tend to find a decline in births –
we don’t see a boom.
“When basic needs can’t be met by a
simple visit to the supermarket, it changes
the way people think about having babies.
The world feels more frightening, and the
prospects for children’s future gloomy.”
The ANU demographer adds that, as
we adapt to the health measures needed
to counter COVID-19, how we form
relationships will change.
“In pure demographic terms, the
ingredients required for births are being
disrupted. Relationships are especially
affected, meaning we are not going to
see the formula needed to result in births,”
she says.
“Lack of social mixing, even via dating
apps, is denying the ingredients necessary
for relationship formation.”
Allen says the makeup of Australia’s
population will also be irrevocably changed
by the international border lockdowns.
“This holding pattern of closing
the borders will have unprecedented
generational impact in terms of economics
and infrastructure,” she says.
“This will result in serious socioeconomic
consequences, the likes of which we have
not seen in modern history.
“The pressure on local and migrant
workers to keep the country economically
afloat will be enormous. The pressure on
workers to remain employed is also likely
to lead to stresses on families, and possible
declines in birth rates.”
On the other hand, Allen also argues that
the current crisis could see migrants fleeing
Australia back to their homelands.
“Coronavirus has created a panic that
perfectly displays Australia’s lingering White
Australia Policy effects,” she says.
“The danger of politicians calling panic
buying ‘un-Australian’, is that people might
interpret that as the other – the non-locals
– being the problem, and it propels racism
and this idea that we should fear them.
“The fear fuelling all of this panic buying
is a contagion. It is more contagious than
the virus itself.”
The ANU expert believes the impact of
coronavirus will be hardest on women
with children.
“Women, especially mothers, bear the
brunt of household labour, and these
burdens will amplify as the lines blur
between work, family and the social
aspects of lives,” she says.
Despite these worrying concerns,
however, Allen highlights Australia’s tradition
of community-mindedness and its “can-do
attitude”.
“Australians have proven to be made of
pretty tough stuff. The sense of community
in Australia is still a major bond holding us
together, no matter the need for physical
distancing," she says.
“Families are re-inventing the notion of
relationships in a time of COVID-19: video
chats with relatives, online community
gaming, and e-playdates with friends are
now being used to build and maintain
community.
“Australia, and the communities
comprising the nation, are built on hope.
A hope for the future, and a confidence in
our ingenuity. Australia’s hope and forward
outlook will sustain the country during
this crisis.” ■
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