Births

The recently released publication Births, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3301.0), shows that in 2005 the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) had the lowest total fertility rate of the states and territories, with 1.65 births per woman. This means that a woman living in the ACT, if she were to experience the current age-specific fertility rates, could expect to have 1.65 children over the course of her reproductive life, compared with a rate of 1.81 births per woman nationally.

The 2005 ACT fertility rate was the highest recorded since 1995, although it has been below replacement fertility (2.1 births per woman) since 1975.

Age-specific fertility rates in the ACT were highest for women aged 30–34 years (122.6 births per 1,000 women in this age group), followed by those aged 25–29 years (85.0) and those aged 35–39 (67.4).

During 2005, a total of 4,200 births were registered to mothers who usually resided in the ACT, an increase of 0.8% on the previous year. Of these, 78 were registered outside of the ACT. Nationally, the number of registered births increased 2.2% to 259,800 in 2005.

Deaths

Between 1995 and 2005, the standardised death rate (SDR) for the ACT decreased from 6.5 deaths per 1,000 people to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 people, the lowest of the states and territories. In comparison, the national standardised death rate was 7.8 deaths per 1,000 people in 1995 and 6.0 deaths per 1,000 people in 2005, which is the lowest national SDR on record.

The total number of deaths registered in the ACT rose in the decade to 2005, from 1,100 in 1995 to 1,500. During this time, the median age at death increased by 5.2 years, from 73.3 years to 78.5 years.

According to Causes of Death, Australia, 2004 (cat. no. 3303.0) the four main underlying causes of death for ACT residents in 2004 were: Diseases of the circulatory system; Neoplasms; Diseases of the respiratory system; and External causes. These are also the four main causes of death at the national level.

Diseases of the circulatory system – for example, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease (stroke) – accounted for 464 deaths in 2004 (32.6% of all deaths).

Neoplasms (cancers) accounted for 428 deaths or 30.1% of all deaths of ACT residents in 2004. Diseases of the respiratory system – for example, influenza and pneumonia – accounted for 107 deaths (7.5%).

External causes of morbidity and mortality – for example, accidents, poisonings and violence – accounted for 86 deaths (6%) in 2004.




Life Expectancy

According to the 2003-05 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Life Tables, ACT residents have higher life expectancy at birth than residents of other states and territories. A boy born in the ACT in 2005 could expect to live to 79.9 years, compared to 78.5 years nationally. A girl born in the ACT in 2005 could expect to live to 84.0 years, 0.7 years more than the national average (83.3). Nationally, in the decade to 2005, life expectancy rose by 3.5 years to 78.5 for males and by 2.5 years to 83.3 for females.


The 2003-05 life tables also show that a male aged 21 years could expect to live another 59.7 years. In comparison, a female aged 21 years in 2005 could expect to live for another 63.8 years . ACT residents aged 55 years in 2005 could expect to live for another 27.5 years if male, or 30.9 years if female.

Further Information

Further information about births and fertility rates can be obtained from Births, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3301.0). More information about death rates and underlying causes of death can be obtained from Deaths, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3302.0), Causes of Death, Australia, 1994 (cat. no. 3303.0) and Causes of Death, Australia, 2004 (cat. no. 3303.0). Further information regarding life expectancy can be found in Life Tables, Australia, 2003-2005 (cat. no. 3302.0.55.001), Life Tables, Australian Capital Territory, 2003-2005 (cat. no. 3302.8.55.001) and Deaths, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3302.0).


Glossary

Replacement level fertility	The number of babies a woman would need to have over her reproductive lifetime to replace herself and her partner. Given the current mortality of females up to age 49 years, replacement fertility is estimated at around 2.1 babies per female.
Total fertility rate	The sum of age-specific fertility rates (live births at each age of mother per female population of that age). It represents the number of children a female would bear during her lifetime if she experienced current age-specific fertility rates at each age of her reproductive life.
Age-specific fertility rate	Age-specific fertility rates (ASFR) are the number of live births (occurred or registered) during the calendar year, according to the age of the mother, per 1,000 of the female estimated resident population of the same age at 30 June. For calculating these rates, births to mothers under 15 years are included in the 15–19 years age group, and births to mothers aged 50 years and over are included in the 45–49 years age group. Pro rata adjustment is made for births for which the age of the mother is not given.
Standardised death rate	Allows the comparison of death rates of populations with different age structures by relating them to a standardised population. The current standardised population is all persons in the 2001 Australian population.

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