Media Release:

Recent Survey Suggests Economic Crisis May Be Limiting the Number of Kids We're Having

Parenting and pregnancy website Mum Zone (www.mumzone.com.au) recently surveyed 1,500 subscribers about how the economic crisis is affecting them and their families.

Despite the governments' continued efforts to encourage Aussies to expand their families, such as the introduction of the Baby Bonus and former Treasurer Peter Costello's classic catchcry of "One for Mum, one for Dad and one for the country" ¹, almost 70% of respondents indicated that the current economic conditions are a factor in deciding how many children they would like to have.

This response was strongly supported by the fact that 53% of respondents have only one child and less than 40% are either pregnant or are planning/trying to get pregnant.

Almost half of the respondents' households live on between $50,000-$100,000 per annum. But who's the breadwinner? Despite the stereotype of the "super-mum" who works full time whilst raising a family, 53% of respondents belong to a household where only one parent works. Fifty-five percent of respondents expect their household income to remain roughly the same over the next twelve months.

Though maybe things are changing - 34% of mums expect to use child care facilities more often over the coming year, with 53% intending to continue using child care at the current rate. Given that 96% of respondents are concerned to some degree about how their families will get through the economic crisis, perhaps some mums are feeling that they'll be requiring more child care as they may have to consider returning to work.

Less than 30% of respondents are able to pay off their credit card each month, with 25% stating they are never able to pay off their monthly credit card balance in full. Interestingly, only 6% indicated that they don't use a credit card.

Despite the recent drop in petrol prices, a whopping 78% of respondents find that the cost of fuel affects their travel patterns and car use to some degree. Although petrol prices are currently down, perhaps respondents aren't convinced that the low prices are here to stay.

Ninety-seven percent of respondents are female and 94% have at least one child. Over half are in the age bracket of 26-34. Sixty percent live in metropolitan areas while 40% live in regional and rural areas.

Mum Zone is an Australian parenting and pregnancy website with almost 12,000 subscribers nationally. www.mumzone.com.au

¹Interview with Peter Costello, Treasury Portfolio Ministers Website, 22nd September 2006. Transcript available: http://www.treasurer.gov.au/DisplayDocs.aspx?doc=transcripts/2006/133.htm
&pageID=&min=phc&Year=2006&DocType=2

Mum Zone Release Date: 2nd December 2008

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