{"id":208182,"date":"2025-10-18T05:54:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T05:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/208182\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T05:54:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T05:54:17","slug":"chilling-ways-the-housing-crisis-has-changed-australia-forever-from-divorce-rates-to-fertility-and-the-death-of-small-business-as-experts-make-shock-prediction-for-our-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/208182\/","title":{"rendered":"Chilling ways the housing crisis has changed Australia forever – from divorce rates to fertility and the death of small business… as experts make shock prediction for our future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia’s housing crisis is reshaping the country in ways few anticipated – and could well lead to significant political upheaval<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What began as a property affordability issue has spiralled into a runaway crisis, with the median house price surging from $192,000 in 2000 to nearly $1million today.<\/p>\n

As home ownership slips further out of reach<\/a>, young Aussies are delaying parenthood, giving up cars, and staying in homes they can’t afford to leave unless ‘the Bank of Mum and Dad’ steps in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It’s quietly rewriting the rules of love, family and politics, and effectively reshaping the fabric of the Australian way of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Divorce rates falling but love isn’t the glue<\/p>\n

With financial stress often cited as a major factor in relationship breakdowns, it stands to reason that the cost of living<\/a>\u00a0crisis would drive divorce rates higher.<\/p>\n

The opposite has occurred. The rate of divorce is at its lowest level since the introduction of no-fault divorce in 1976.<\/p>\n

But for many, it’s not about staying together for love – rather it’s about keeping a roof over their heads.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Divorce <\/p>\n

Divorce comes with obvious costs – lawyers, moving, and most significantly, running two households instead of one<\/p>\n

For many, the prospect of joining the difficult search for two homes in Australia’s overheated, understocked housing market is more daunting than staying with a soulmate who now resembles an insufferable flatmate.<\/p>\n

University of Sydney economics lecturer Luke Hartigan co-authored a study that found lower house price growth increases the likelihood of separation, while higher-than-expected growth discourages it, especially among low-income households, women with lower education, and older couples.<\/p>\n

He said the consequences of soaring house prices and their relationship to marriage and divorce have largely been ignored, with the trend unlikely to subside if property prices continue to rise.<\/p>\n

‘We found the likelihood of divorce was typically more pronounced for high-education and high-income couples with children,’ he said.<\/p>\n

‘We also found divorce was more likely for couples with a mortgage as well as younger couples.’<\/p>\n

Renters abandoning the major parties \"In <\/p>\n

In 1987, less than two per cent of Australians voted for third parties. At the last election, it was one in three voters. (Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pictured)<\/p>\n

The rising<\/a> cost of living is reshaping how Australians vote, with housing affordability now one of the most decisive issues in federal elections.<\/p>\n

Home ownership has been steadily declining for decades, with nearly one in three Australians now renting.<\/a> Alarmingly, three out of five renters believe they will never be able to afford a home of their own.<\/p>\n

Futurologist Rocky Scopelliti said that, for the first time, young Australians are not expecting to live better than their parents – they’re expecting to live smaller.<\/p>\n

‘As younger Australians realise they are inheriting both a broken housing market and an ageing fiscal system, the sense of intergenerational inequity is deepening,’ he said.<\/p>\n

‘That disillusionment has political consequences.’<\/p>\n

Historically, homeowners have leaned conservative while renters skew progressive, notes Professor Scopelliti. But when ownership itself becomes unattainable, new political identities emerge.<\/p>\n

‘This could explain the rising volatility of younger voters and the increasing appeal of minor parties or independent movements,’ he said.<\/p>\n

\"Futurologist <\/p>\n

Futurologist Rocky Scopelliti (pictured) said the housing crisis is shifting voting habits<\/p>\n

‘The next political realignment in Australia may not be left versus right, it may be own versus rent.’<\/p>\n

Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher said that in 1987, less than two per cent of Australians voted for third parties.\u00a0At the last election, it was one in three voters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He predicts that within a few election cycles, we may well see a prime minister from outside Labor or Liberal.<\/p>\n

‘If home ownership doesn’t become much more affordable soon, the third parties will continue to gain ever more votes,’ he said.<\/p>\n

Priced out of parenthood<\/p>\n

Australia’s fertility rate has fallen to its lowest level on record, as steep rents and mortgage repayments delay major life decisions such as starting a family<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows the total fertility rate dropped from 1.84 births per woman in 2000 to 1.48 in 2024, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.<\/a><\/p>\n

Analysis by KPMG attributes the decline primarily to economic pressures, noting changes in disposable income have a significant impact on the nation’s birth rate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Urban economist Terry Rawnsley said rising rents, mortgage payments and childcare costs in metropolitan areas are putting a handbrake on people’s parenthood plans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n

\"For <\/p>\n

For many married couples, staying together is a financially necessity as the cost of living bites (stock image posed by models)<\/p>\n

He said Perth had previously done the heavy lifting when it came to driving Australia’s population growth, but the increase is still well below pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n

‘Perth’s relatively strong fertility rate is driven by the fact its housing market is still much more affordable compared to the east coast,’ he said.<\/p>\n

‘Young families can find a decent-sized block much closer to the city than they can in Sydney or Melbourne, for just a fraction of the price.’<\/p>\n

ABS head of demography Beidar Cho said in 2024 the median age of mothers was 32.1 and fathers was 33.9, showing a slow but steady increase over the past decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘This shift toward older parenthood reflects broader social changes and economic shifts,’ she said.<\/p>\n

‘This includes things like more time spent in education such as university and TAFE and higher workforce participation by women.’<\/p>\n

Australians racing the biological clock, turning to IVF<\/p>\n

The soaring cost of property has become a silent macroeconomic force behind the boom in Australia’s assisted reproduction industry, with UNSW data revealing<\/a> one in 16 babies is now born via IVF.<\/p>\n

Among women aged over 35, that figure rises to nearly one in 10.<\/p>\n

As couples spend their prime fertile years saving for a home and building careers to cover rising living costs, many are delaying parenthood and facing a ticking biological clock.<\/p>\n

\"Emily <\/p>\n

Emily Gentles has spoken of her struggles to conceive Eloise (pictured) after delaying parenthood<\/p>\n

This trend is driving a surge in couples seeking IVF, often undergoing multiple costly rounds of treatment.<\/p>\n

Melbourne mum Emily Gentles defied the odds to become a parent at 43.<\/p>\n

After multiple failed IVF rounds and a heartbreaking miscarriage, motherhood felt out of reach. But two years later, she welcomed baby Eloise without medical intervention.<\/p>\n

‘Building a career and more importantly not being with the right partner until this age were the main reasons [for] the delay in trying to have a baby,’ she said.<\/p>\n

‘However, as soon as we made the decision to try for a family, we were greeted with statistics that made it feel like a near-impossible task.<\/p>\n

‘After six months of trying naturally, we embarked on an IVF journey as we were told, “At your age, this is really your only viable option.”‘<\/p>\n

\"Professor <\/p>\n

Professor Georgina Chambers (pictured) said it’s a common misconception that IVF can easily solve infertility<\/p>\n

Professor Georgina Chambers, director of UNSW’s National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, said it’s a common misconception that IVF can easily solve infertility.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘For each fresh or frozen IVF cycle started in 35-year-old women, the live birth rate is around 30 per cent,’ she said.<\/p>\n

‘This drops to 15 per cent for a 40-year-old and 10 per cent for a 42-year-old.’<\/p>\n

We’re unhappier<\/p>\n

Australia’s housing crisis is not just an economic issue – research shows a clear link between housing stress and rising levels of psychological distress.<\/p>\n

The HILDA survey has been asking Australians\u00a0every year since 2001 to recall how often they felt happy, joyful, sad, tired or depressed in the last month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2013, less than one in five Australian men and women reported they had experienced distress.<\/p>\n

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\"More <\/p>\n

More than one in four women reported being in distress in the annual HILDA survey<\/p>\n

Fast forward a decade, and more than one in four women (27.5 per cent) and nearly one in four men (22.8 per cent) reported being in distress, an increase of roughly 50 per cent.<\/p>\n

The largest increase in psychological distress was reported for those aged 25 to 44.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Report 2025\u00a0found 71 per cent of people experienced housing stress and 33 per cent feared homelessness.<\/p>\n

According to advocacy group Everybody’s Home, renters now need to earn $130,000 a year to afford an average unit.<\/p>\n

It’s not just renters feeling the squeeze.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth were named among the top 15 most unaffordable places in the world to buy a home in the 2025 Demographia International Housing Affordability Report.<\/p>\n

Everybody’s Home spokeswoman Maiy Azize said tax breaks that inflate house prices and lock people out of home ownership must be wound back.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Every year, billions of taxpayer dollars are handed to property investors through negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, with everyday Australians paying the price,’ she said.<\/p>\n

\"Sydney <\/p>\n

Sydney (pictured) was named the second-most impossibly unaffordable city in the world, only behind Hong Kong<\/p>\n

‘These tax breaks are among the most unfair and distortionary in our economy. They make housing less affordable, benefit higher-income Australians, and lock everyday people out of safe and affordable housing.’<\/p>\n

Small business feels the squeeze<\/p>\n

There’s a strong link between Australia’s surging property prices and the mounting challenges faced by small businesses, with half of the businesses launched in 2019 closing their doors by 2023.<\/p>\n

In major urban centres like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, commercial property prices and rents have soared, stifling the nation’s 2.7 million small businesses from thriving and surviving.<\/p>\n

According to the ABS Counts of Australian Businesses, 370,500 small businesses closed in the last financial year,\u00a0a 21 per cent increase from pre-pandemic levels.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n

\"There's <\/p>\n

There’s a strong link between Australia’s surging property prices and the mounting challenges faced by small businesses, as\u00a0commercial rents have soared<\/p>\n

Nearly half (49.3 per cent) of those businesses\u00a0are owned or operated by individuals or families.<\/p>\n

While traditional storefronts and offices face mounting pressure from rising rents and a workforce increasingly drawn to remote work, a different kind of workspace is thriving: the virtual office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Remote work adoption has accelerated this shift, allowing companies to operate without the burden of expensive physical office space in\u00a0prestigious districts.<\/p>\n

Virtual office services in Sydney CBD towers like Barangaroo and Melbourne’s Collins Street start at just $19 a month for a basic address, and can climb to $600 for full-service packages that include mail handling, receptionist support and access to meeting rooms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Large dog breeds are vanishing from our cities<\/p>\n

Declining housing affordability has driven many Australians, especially younger renters and apartment dwellers, towards higher-density urban living.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This shift, coupled with rising costs, has led to a preference for smaller, lower-maintenance pets such as cats, small dogs or fish over larger dogs, which require more space, according to a report by\u00a0Animal Medicines Australia.<\/p>\n

It found that while overall pet ownership remained high (69 per cent), the proportion of households with larger dogs has declined, while cat ownership has risen.<\/p>\n

\"Large <\/p>\n

Large dog breeds like golden retrievers are becoming less common in Australian cities<\/p>\n

And as the nation struggles through a cost-of-living crisis, there’s been a surge in pet surrendering, with rescue shelters reporting that large dog breeds are becoming homeless more than any other pet.<\/p>\n

RSPCA animal operations general manager Kristy Blake said that in the past\u00a0year alone, there was a 52 per cent spike in animals waiting to enter its shelters simply because their families can no longer afford to care for them.<\/p>\n

If housing is the foundation of a stable society, then Australia is building on shaky ground.<\/p>\n

Professor Scopelliti said Australia’s housing crisis is a psychological and cultural fault line running through the heart of the nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘When a generation loses its stake in housing, it doesn’t just lose financial security, it loses emotional security,’ he said.<\/p>\n

‘The Australian dream has long served as a social contract between generations. That contract is being rewritten, and the next generation wasn’t invited to the table.’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australia’s housing crisis is reshaping the country in ways few anticipated – and could well lead to significant…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208183,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[84,97,1294,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-208182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-dailymail","tag-economy","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}