3311.2.55.001 - Demography, Victoria, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 05/05/2004   
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OVERVIEW

This page replaces the previous hard copy publication (cat. no. 3311.2), and shows 2002 details for Victoria.

POPULATION
BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS
DEATHS
MIGRATION
MARRIAGES
DIVORCES

Inquiries

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Nancy Savic on (03) 9615 7626 or nancy.savic@abs.gov.au.


SUMMARY

The estimated resident population of Victoria at the end of December 2002 was 4,885,000 persons, representing 24% of the total Australian population.


POPULATION

Population change consists of natural increase (the excess of births over deaths registered during the year), interstate movement and overseas migration. In 2002, births exceeded deaths by 26,000 persons, compared to 1992, when Victoria recorded a natural increase of 33,800 persons. During the period from 1992 to 2002, natural increase continued to decline each year.

Since 1997, more people have arrived in Victoria from other states and territories than have departed to reside elsewhere in Australia. Population gain from interstate migration appears to have peaked in the short term, as the figure for 2002 (1,900 persons) was less than that recorded for 2001 (5,500 persons). In 1992, in contrast, Victoria recorded a net loss of 21,000 persons.

In 2002, more people settled in Victoria from an overseas country than chose to leave Victoria for overseas. This resulted in a net overseas migration gain of 26,500 persons.

COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE, Victoria
Graph - Natural increase, net overseas migration and net interstate migration, Victoria, from 1992 to 2002


POPULATION, Victoria

1992
2001
2002

Estimated resident population('000)
4,465.4
4,830.5
4,885.0

Components of population change(a)
Natural increase(b)no.
33,817
27,194
26,031
Net overseas migration(c)no.
13,988
29,562
26,491
Net interstate migrationno.
-21,011
5,481
1,922
Total increase(d)no.
27,936
60,466
54,444

Annual growth rate

%

0.6

1.3

1.1

Estimated resident households(e)

('000)

1,593.8

1,818.3

np


np - not for publication as data are under review.
(a) From previous year.
(b) Births and deaths figures used to compile natural increase for population estimates are based on year of occurrence and may differ from births and deaths data based on year of registration displayed in the Births and Confinements table and the Deaths table below.
(c) Until 1997 net overseas migration data for Jervis Bay, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island were randomly allocated to the states and territories. For these years the sum of the components may therefore not equal net overseas migration.
(d) Includes intercensal discrepancy not accounted for by natural increase and net migration.
(e) Figures are based on 1996 census.


BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS

In 2002 there were 60,400 confinements resulting in 61,500 live births registered to mothers usually resident in Victoria. Registrations of births were 5% higher than in 2001 (58,600 births) and are the highest number recorded in Victoria since 1995.

The total fertility rate, that is the average number of babies that a woman could expect to give birth to in her lifetime if she experienced current age-specific fertility rates, was 1.679 babies per woman in 2002. This is a 4% increase from the rate in 2001 and is in line with the increase in the number of births registered in 2002.

TOTAL FERTILITY RATES
Graph - Total fertility rates for Victoria and Australia from 1992 to 2002


BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS(a), Victoria

1992
2001
2002

Live births
Numberno.
65,766
58,626
61,478
Crude birth raterate
14.8
12.2
12.7
Total fertility raterate
1.818
1.616
1.679
Net reproduction raterate
0.873
0.779
0.805

All confinements
Numberno.
64,898
57,658
60,435
Median age of motheryears
29.2
30.7
31.0

Nuptial confinements
Numberno.
52,449
42,837
44,546
Median age of motheryears
29.7
31.3
31.6
Median age of fatheryears
32.0
33.4
33.6

First nuptial confinements
Numberno.
21,814
18,300
19,235
Median age of motheryears
28.3
30.2
30.5

(a) Compiled on year of registration basis.


DEATHS

In 2002, there were 33,800 registered deaths of persons usually resident in Victoria.

The standardised death rate (see Glossary) was 6.6 deaths per 1,000 population, which was slightly lower than the national rate of 6.7 deaths per 1,000 population.

In 2002, the upward trend in life expectancy continued for females and males in Victoria. Females born in 2002 could expect to live an average of 82.8 years compared to 80.8 years for those born in 1992, and males could expect to live an average of 77.8 years compared to 74.8 years in 1992.

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH, Victoria
Graph - Life expectancy at birth, Victoria, from 1992 to 2002


DEATHS(a), Victoria

1992
2001
2002

Numberno.
31,951
32,295
33,772
Crude death raterate
7.2
6.7
7.0
Standardised death raterate
8.3
6.5
6.6

Median age at death
Malesyears
73.2
76.1
76.8
Femalesyears
80.1
82.1
82.5

Infant deaths
Numberno.
366
284
305
Infant mortality raterate
5.6
4.8
5.0

Life expectancy at birth
Malesyears
74.8
77.5
77.8
Femalesyears
80.8
82.7
82.8

(a) Compiled on year of registration basis.


MIGRATION

In assessing the contribution migration makes to the population of each state and territory, both net interstate migration and net overseas migration are included in the total net migration. In 2002, Victoria recorded the second highest net migration gain of all the States and Territories (28,400 persons).

Net overseas migration contributed 26,500 persons to the growth in Victoria's population. Net overseas migration fluctuates from year to year and since 1999 it has contributed more to Victoria's population growth than natural increase.

Up until 1997, in contrast to overseas migration, net interstate migration generally meant population loss. Since then, there has been a net interstate migration gain each year, although the gain in 2002 (1,900 persons) was less than in 2001 (5,500 persons). By comparison, in 1992 there was a loss from net interstate migration of 21,000 persons.

INTERSTATE MIGRATION, Victoria
Graph - Interstate arrivals and departures, Victoria, from 1992 to 2002


MIGRATION, Victoria

1992
2001
2002

Overseas migration - permanent and longterm movement(a)
Arrivalsno.
53,702
83,148
86,338
Departures no.
33,605
47,669
49,992
Net overseas migration(b)no.
13,988
29,562
26,491

Interstate migration
Arrivalsno.
57,047
73,068
75,681
Departuresno.
78,058
67,587
73,759
Net interstate migrationno.
-21,011
5,481
1,922


(a) Based on stated intention on arrival or departure.
(b) Includes migration adjustment. Please refer to paragraphs 15 to 17 of the Explanatory Notes for further details. Net overseas migration data for Jervis Bay, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island were randomly allocated to the states and territories in 1992.


MARRIAGES

In 2002, there were 25,000 marriages registered in Victoria. These represent a crude marriage rate of 5.2 marriages per 1,000 persons residing in Victoria, slightly lower than the national rate of 5.4 marriages per 1,000 population.

Between 1992 and 2002, the number of marriages registered in Victoria declined by 12%. The decline was not uniform over this period, decreasing each year from 1993 to 1997, then increasing in both 1998 and 1999, then decreasing each year from 2000 to 2002.

There has been a continual increase in median ages at marriage for brides and bridegrooms in Victoria. The median ages for brides were 26.3 years in 1992 and 29.1 years in 2002, while for bridegrooms the corresponding figures were 28.6 years and 30.9 years respectively.

CRUDE MARRIAGE RATE(a)
Graph - Crude marriage rate from 1992 to 2002, Victoria and Australia
(a) Per 1,000 population.

MARRIAGES, Victoria

1992
2001
2002

Number registeredno.
28,429
24,953
25,058
Crude marriage raterate
6.4
5.2
5.2

Median age at marriage
Bridegroomyears
28.6
30.5
30.9
Brideyears
26.3
28.7
29.1



DIVORCES

In 2001, there were 13,700 divorces granted in Victoria. These represent a crude divorce rate of 2.9 divorces per 1,000 population, the same as the national rate.

The 13,700 divorces granted in 2001 are a 30% increase over the 10,500 granted in 1992. The increase in the number of divorces granted in 2001 may in part be due to the take-up of divorces through the Federal Magistrates Service. In September 2000, the Federal Magistrates Service was established to provide a simpler and accessible service for litigants and to ease the workload of both the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia.

Median duration of marriage (see Glossary) was 11.9 years in 2001 compared to 10.4 years in 1992. This increase may be partly due to the associated increase in the median interval between marriage and separation.

MEDIAN DURATION OF MARRIAGE
Graph - Median duration of marriage from 1992 to 2002, Victoria and Australia


DIVORCES, Victoria

1992
2001
2002

Number grantedno.
10,533
13,722
nya
Crude divorce raterate
2.4
2.9
nya

Median duration of marriage

years

10.4

11.9

nya

Median interval between marriage and final separation

years

7.5

8.5

nya

nya - not yet available


RELATED LINKS

3101.0 Australian Demographic Statistics
3201.0 Population by Age and Sex, State and Territories
3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand
3222.0 Population Projections, Australia
3230.0 Experimental Estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Population
3231.0 Experimental Projections of the Indigenous Population
3236.0 Household and Family Projections, Australia
3301.0 Births, Australia
3302.0 Deaths, Australia
3303.0 Causes of Death, Australia
3412.0 Migration, Australia
3105.0.65.001 Australian Historical Population Statistics