3301.0 - Births, Australia, 2012 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/10/2013   
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BIRTHS


There were 309,582 births registered in Australia in 2012, approximately 8,000 (2.6%) more than the number registered in 2011 (301,617). Just over half (51%) of all births registered in 2012 were male babies, resulting in a sex ratio at birth of 105.6 male births per 100 female births.

Graph Image for Births registered - 1901 to 2012 (a)

Footnote(s): (a) Data have been revised to include previously unprocessed NSW birth registrations for the period 2005 to 2010. For further information select In this issue then Changes in this issue from the Summary web page of this release.

Source(s): Births, Australia



The median age of all mothers for births registered in 2012 was 30.7 years, while the median age of fathers was 33.0 years.

Graph Image for Median age of parents, Australia - 1932 to 2012

Footnote(s): (a) Where age is known. (b) Not available for 1974 and earlier years.

Source(s): Births, Australia



The median age of first-time mothers in 2012 was 29.1 years, 62% of whom were married at the time of giving birth.

Of all births registered in 2012, 65% of births were to parents in a registered marriage. For more information see data cube Table 1: Births, Summary, States and territories - 2002 to 2012.

The number of confinements resulting in a multiple birth has increased consistently since the 1970s. In 2012, there were 4,480 confinements resulting in a multiple birth; of these, 59 were triplets or higher order. This number of confinements was 34% higher than the number recorded in 1991 (3,355 confinements), and 1.8% lower than the number recorded in 2011 (4,560 confinements). For more information see data cube Table 9: Multiple births, States and territories - 2002 to 2012.

Multiple births(a), States and territories - 2012

Single
Twins
Triplets and higher order
Total multiple confinements
Total confinements
State or territory of usual residence
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.

New South Wales
95 759
1 349
20
1 369
97 128
Victoria
75 057
1 155
11
1 166
76 223
Queensland
61 803
1 000
18
1 018
62 821
South Australia
19 808
304
5
309
20 117
Western Australia
32 732
444
5
449
33 181
Tasmania
6 092
39
-
39
6 131
Northern Territory
4 014
45
-
45
4 059
Australian Capital Territory
5 299
83
-
83
5 382
Australia(b)
300 599
4 421
59
4 480
305 079

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) A multiple birth is a confinement (pregnancy) which results in two or more children, at least one of which is live-born.
(b) Includes Other Territories