3311.8.55.001 - Demography, Australian Capital Territory, 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 Demography, Australian Capital Territory (cat. no. 3311.8), and shows 2002 details for the Australian Capital Territory.

POPULATION
BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS
DEATHS
MIGRATION
MARRIAGES
DIVORCES

For comparisons between the states and territories of Australia, please refer to Demography, Australia, 2002 (cat. no. 3311.0.55.001). Demography publications for each state and territory can be accessed from the following links:



Additional state demographic data are also available from publications and data cubes linked at the foot of this page. The Demography Theme Page provides links to other Australian as well as international demography statistics. The National Regional Profiles provide economic and social statistics of Statistical Local Areas and Local Government Areas of Australia.


Inquiries

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Corinne McCool on (02) 6252 7569 or corinne.mccool@abs.gov.au.


POPULATION

At 31 December 2002 the Australian Capital Territory resident population was estimated to have reached 322,200 persons (159,000 males and 163,200 females). This represented a population increase of 8.8% over the last decade from 296,200 persons in December 1992. The ACT accounted for 1.6% of the Australian population in 2002.

The annual population growth rate in the ACT in 2002 was 0.6%, which was lower than the national level (1.2%). This growth represented an increase of 2,000 persons, which was composed of natural increase (2,700 persons), net overseas migration (550 persons) and net interstate migration (-1,200 persons). Natural increase was a result of 4,000 births outnumbering 1,400 deaths. This was 7.2% higher than the level of natural increase experienced in 2001 (2,500 persons), and 22% lower than in 1992 (3,400 persons).

POPULATION COMPONENTS, Australian Capital Territory
Graph - Population Components


POPULATION, Australian Capital Territory

1992
2001
2002

Estimated resident population('000)
296.2
320.2
322.2

Components of population change(a)
Natural increase(b)no.
3,385
2,471
2,650
Net overseas migration(c)no.
-237
835
545
Net interstate migrationno.
1,124
-72
-1,232
Total increase(d)no.
4,769
3,385
1,963

Annual growth rate

%

1.6

1.1

0.6

Estimated resident households(e)

('000)

102.5

122.6

na(f)


na - not available.
(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.
(f) Data is under review.


BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS

In 2002 there were 4,100 live births registered to mothers usually resident in the Australian Capital Territory. This was an increase of 4.4% from the number of registered births in 2001 (3,900 births), and a decrease of 7.5% from the number recorded in 1992 (4,400 births). There were 2,100 male births and 2,000 female births registered in 2002, resulting in a sex ratio of 102.6 males per 100 females.

There were 3,000 nuptial births and 1,100 exnuptial births in the ACT in 2002. Although nuptial births increased 4.9% from 2001, this was a decline of 15% from the number recorded in 1992. Exnuptial births have experienced a 21% increase over the last decade, increasing 3% between 2001 and 2002.

The Australian Capital Territory's crude birth rate in 2002 was 12.8 births per 1,000 of the population. The total fertility rate (TFR), that is the number of children a female would bear during her lifetime based on current age-specific fertility rates, increased from 1.53 children per woman in 2001 to 1.59 in 2002. Although this increase ended a trend of long-term decline, it was still below the replacement level (2.1) and was the lowest rate of all states and territories.

In the ACT in 2002 the net reproduction rate (the average number of daughters a woman would bear during her reproductive lifetime if she was subject to current female age-specific fertility rates and to prevailing mortality rates) was 0.78, below the replacement level of one.

The ACT continued to experience a trend towards parents having children later in life, with the median age of mothers reaching a high of 30.7 years in 2002, up from 28.9 years in 1992. The median age for fathers also reached a high in 2002 at 32.8 years. Since 1997 the 30-34 year age group has had the highest age-specific fertility rate in the ACT and this trend continued in 2002, with 111.8 babies per 1,000 women in that age group. Age-specific fertility rates for the 15-19, 20-24 and 25-29 year age groups in the ACT were below the national rates recorded in 2002.

AGE-SPECIFIC FERTILITY RATES (a), Australian Capital Territory, Selected age groups - 2002
Graph - Age-Specific Fertility Rates, Selected age groups - 2002
(a) Births per 1,000 women.

BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS(a), Australian Capital Territory

1992
2001
2002

Live births
Numberno.
4,447
3,938
4,112
Crude birth raterate
15.1
12.3
12.8
Total fertility raterate
1.721
1.525
1.591
Net reproduction raterate
0.839
0.743
0.778

All confinements
Numberno.
4,385
3,860
4,048
Median age of motheryears
28.9
30.4
30.7

Nuptial confinements
Numberno.
3,491
2,809
2,956
Median age of motheryears
29.6
31.0
31.4
Median age of fatheryears
31.9
33.0
33.5

First nuptial confinements
Numberno.
1,387
1,172
1,284
Median age of motheryears
28.2
29.8
30.4

(a) Compiled on year of registration basis.


DEATHS

There were 1,400 registered deaths of persons usually resident in the ACT in 2002, an increase of 28% from the 1,100 deaths in 1992. Of these there were 660 male deaths and 710 female deaths, with a sex ratio of 92.8 male deaths per 100 female deaths.

The crude death rate (CDR) increased from 3.6 deaths per 1,000 population in 1992, to 4.3 deaths per 1,000 population in 2002. The standardised death rate, (SDR) which eliminates the effect of the changing age structure of population over time by relating them to a standard population decreased over the same time period. In 2002 the SDR for the ACT was 5.9 deaths per 1,000 population, falling from 7.2 deaths per 1,000 population in 1992.

In 2002, the CDR for males was 4.2 deaths per 1,000 population, which was lower than females with 4.4 deaths per 1,000 population. However the SDR shows that there is a difference between male and female mortality experiences, with 7.0 male deaths per 1,000 population and 5.2 female deaths per 1,000 population. In 1992 the SDR for males was 9.0 deaths per 1,000 population, 50% higher than 6.0 deaths per 1,000 population for females.

DEATH RATES (a), Australian Capital Territory
Graph - Death Rates
(a) Deaths per 1,000 population.


The life expectancy at birth in 2002 for persons whose place of usual residence was the ACT was 79.2 years for males and 83.3 years for females. Both males and females in the ACT had the highest life expectancy at birth in Australia. The median age for death in the ACT was 76.4 years for males and 81.5 years for females. During the past 10 years in the ACT, the median age at death increased by 7.3 years for males and 6.2 years for females.

There were 14 infant deaths (the death of a live-born child who dies before their first birthday) in the ACT in 2002. The number of infant deaths has decreased by 50% since 1992. The infant mortality rate (the number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births) was 3.4 in 2002, below the national rate of 5.0. Although infant mortality in the ACT has decreased considerably, following the national trend, it has shown significant volatility due to the small number of infant deaths recorded each year, with the infant mortality rate increasing between 2001 and 2002.

In the ACT in 2002, malignant neoplasms accounted for 30% of deaths (410 deaths) and ischaemic heart diseases accounted for 17% of deaths (230 deaths). The standardised death rate for malignant neoplasms in 2002 was 170 deaths per 100,000 population, compared with a rate of 183 deaths in 1992 (representing a decrease of 6.9%). The standardised death rate for ischaemic heart diseases decreased 40% from 172 to 103 deaths per 100,000 population between 1992 and 2002.

DEATHS(a), Australian Capital Territory

1992
2001
2002

Numberno.
1,074
1,419
1,373
Crude death raterate
3.6
4.4
4.3
Standardised death raterate
7.2
6.3
5.9

Median age at death
Malesyears
69.1
72.1
76.4
Femalesyears
75.3
81.3
81.5

Infant deaths
Numberno.
28
12
14
Infant mortality raterate
6.3
3.0
3.4

Life expectancy at birth
Malesyears
76.6
78.5
79.2
Femalesyears
81.4
82.9
83.3

(a) Compiled on year of registration basis.


MIGRATION

The Australian Capital Territory gained 550 persons through net overseas migration in 2002. There were 7,100 overseas arrivals to and 6,400 overseas departures from the ACT in 2002. Over the last decade the number of overseas arrivals increased 26%. The number of overseas departures increased 22% since 1992, and 14% between 2001 and 2002. Net overseas migration to the ACT has shown considerable volatility over the last decade, fluctuating above and below zero. Since 2000 the ACT has experienced gains to its population through net overseas migration, although it declined by 35% between 2001 and 2002.

In 2002, the net interstate loss from the ACT was 1,200 persons, an increase on the 70 persons the ACT lost in the previous year, and a dramatic change from the interstate movement experienced in 1992, when the ACT gained 1,100 persons. The net interstate loss from the ACT in 2002 was a result of 20,800 interstate departures exceeding 19,600 interstate arrivals. The number of interstate departures increased by 5% between 2001 and 2002, and increased by 11% since 1992.

The ACT's largest gain through interstate migration was made by the group aged 15-19 years with 800 persons. The only other group to contribute to interstate migration gain were those aged 75 years and over with 55 persons. All other age groups recorded losses through interstate migration, with the greatest loss being experienced in the groups aged 55-59 years (-420 persons), and those aged 50-54 years (-310 persons).

NET INTERSTATE MIGRATION, Australian Capital Territory, By age - 2002
Graph - Net Interstate Migration, By age - 2002


MIGRATION, Australian Capital Territory

1992
2001
2002

Overseas migration
Permanent and Long-term movement(a)
Arrivalsno.
5,665
6,576
7,137
Departures no.
5,266
5,628
6,421
Net Overseas Migration(b)no.
-237
835
545

Interstate migration
Arrivalsno.
19,819
19,716
19,575
Departuresno.
18,695
19,788
20,807
Net Interstate Migrationno.
1,124
-72
-1,232

(a) Based on stated intention on arrival or departure.
(b) Includes migration adjustment. Please refer to the Explanatory Notes for further details.


MARRIAGES

There were 1,600 marriages registered in the ACT in 2002, an increase of 0.7% from the previous year, and a decline of 12% from the number of marriages registered in 1992. The crude marriage rate in the ACT did not change between 2001 and 2002 staying constant at 4.9 marriages per 1,000 population.

The long-term trend towards marrying at older ages continued in the ACT in 2002. The median age at marriage for ACT brides in 2002 was 28.7 years, an increase from 26.3 years in 1992. The median age of bridegrooms in the ACT also increased over this time from 28.6 years in 1992 to 30.7 years in 2002. The peak age group at marriage was 25-29 years for both males and females.

Marriages in which neither party had been previously married accounted for 67% of registered marriages in the ACT in 2002. There were 280 marriages (18%) in which one party had been married previously, and 240 (15%) in which both parties were remarrying. These proportions were the same as those recorded in the ACT in the previous year.

The increasing trend to cohabit prior to marriage continued in the ACT in 2002, with marriage data indicating that over three-quarters (76%) of couples cohabited before marriage. This proportion was higher than the national figure which indicated that 73% of couples cohabited prior to marriage Australia-wide.

More than half (54%) of the marriages in the ACT in 2002 were performed by civil celebrants. Of those couples that cohabited prior to marriage, 60% were married by civil celebrants, compared with 35% of couples who lived separately prior to marriage.

Of all marriages registered in the ACT in 2002, 62% were between Australian-born grooms and brides, 28% involved one overseas-born partner, and 10% of marriages had neither party born in Australia.

MARRIAGES, Australian Capital Territory

1992
2001
2002

Number registeredno.
1,791
1,572
1,583
Crude marriage raterate
6.1
4.9
4.9

Median age at marriage
Bridegroomyears
28.6
30.1
30.7
Brideyears
26.3
28.3
28.7



DIVORCES

Divorce data for 2002 is not yet available.

It is important to note that divorce data for the ACT includes some persons involved in these divorces who are not residents of the ACT, but live in the surrounding regions (see the explanatory note on registration of divorces).

DIVORCES, Australian Capital Territory

1992
2001
2002

Number grantedno.
1,875
1,684
nya

Median duration of marriage

years

11.5

12.3

nya

Median interval between marriage and final separation

years

8.4

8.8

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