The number of Australian men aged 18-44 choosing vasectomies has increased by more than 60 percent in less than a decade, with a rise in younger men aged 18-24 undergoing the snip.
The new Adelaide University research shows a sustained national increase alongside rising cost of living pressures and declining birth rates, with 18,544 procedures in 2016, increasing more than 60 percent to 29,868 in 2024.
The first study of its kind found the increase occurred across every Australian state and territory, with some of the largest percentage rises in states with historically lower uptakes.
The findings come as Australia’s fertility rate fell to a record low of around 1.48 births per women in 2024, continuing an accelerating decline over the past decade.
Lead researcher Dr Jack Janetzki said the national shift pointed to significant changes in social norms.
“Decisions about limiting fertility are increasingly being made earlier in adulthood,” Dr Janetzki said.
“For younger adults especially, housing affordability, job insecurity and the cost of raising children all shape those decisions.
“When buying a home feels out of reach, childcare is expensive and financial uncertainty persists, some couples choose to have smaller families or not have children at all.”
Dr Janetzki warned if low birth rates and vasectomy increases continue, Australia was likely to face a more rapidly ageing population, a smaller future workforce, and growing demand for health and aged-care services.
“Birth rates underpin population growth, the age structure of our population and long-term economic sustainability, so sustained declines have consequences that extend well beyond individual families.
The analysis used data from the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to examine trends in vasectomy and birth rates from July 2015 to December 2024.
Researchers compared Medicare claims for vasectomies with birth rates across Australia by state, territory and age group.
Greater awareness and normalisation of vasectomy, along with growing expectations of shared contraceptive responsibility, and the relatively low invasiveness of the procedure compared with female sterilisation were also likely contributing to the increase, Dr Janetzki said.
While vasectomy alone was not responsible for Australia’s falling birth rate, the researchers said vasectomy rates signal that Australian men were making increasingly intentional decisions about reproduction.
“Our findings suggest Australians are making decisions about family size and permanent contraception earlier than previous generations,” Dr Janetzki said.
“Vasectomy is intended to be a permanent form of contraception and reversals are neither simple nor 100 percent successful.
“This means people need clear information about what the procedure means and the full range of contraceptive options available.
“Monitoring permanent contraception alongside births and migration will help us better understand how Australia’s population is changing.”
