3301.0 - Births, Australia, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/11/2002   
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Introduction

1 Registration of births is the responsibility of state and territory Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages and is based on the data provided on an information form completed by the parents of the child. This form is the basis of the data provided to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), by Registrars, for compilation into the aggregate statistics in this publication. Most data items are collected in all states and territories and therefore statistics at the national level are available for most characteristics. Some states, however, collect additional information, and some of this is produced in this publication.

2 In the main, statistics in this publication refer to births registered by the state and territory Registrars during the calendar year shown. There is usually an interval between the occurrence and registration of a birth and, as a result of delay in registration, some births occurring in one year are not registered until the following year or even later. This delay can be caused by either a delay by the parents in registering the birth, or a delay by the Registrar in registering the birth.


YEAR OF OCCURRENCE OF BIRTHS REGISTERED IN 2001

Year in which birth occurred
1995 and earlier
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
State or territory of usual residence
%
%
%
%
%
%
%

New South Wales
1.1
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.8
11.6
85.0
Victoria
0.4
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.7
9.7
88.5
Queensland
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.9
12.3
85.1
South Australia
0.9
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.5
8.0
90.1
Western Australia
0.5
0.1
0.4
0.5
0.9
8.8
88.8
Tasmania
0.9
0.4
0.3
0.6
0.7
12.9
84.1
Northern Territory
0.2
-
-
0.1
0.1
9.0
90.6
Australian Capital Territory
0.1
-
-
-
0.1
13.3
86.5
Australia
0.7
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.8
10.8
86.6



3 For births data, cell values less than three have been randomised to protect confidentiality.

States and territories

4 In the main, statistics for states and territories have been compiled and presented in respect of the state or territory of usual residence of the mother. However, in the following table, data have been presented on a state or territory of registration basis. Births which took place outside Australia are excluded from the statistics.

BIRTHS, STATE OR TERRITORY OF USUAL RESIDENCE OF MOTHER AND STATE OR TERRITORY OF REGISTRATION

State or Territory of registration
State or territory of
usual residence
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.

New South Wales
82 566
883
417
30
22
5
3
652
84 578
Victoria
120
58 350
41
78
20
11
-
4
58 626
Queensland
574
44
46 995
25
20
9
6
5
47 678
South Australia
26
32
10
17 173
8
3
28
3
17 281
Western Australia
37
24
22
11
23 869
8
31
-
24 002
Tasmania
13
18
7
4
-
6 385
-
-
6 430
Northern Territory
19
11
31
20
14
3
3 724
-
3 822
Australian Capital Territory
53
6
3
-
-
-
-
3 872
3 938
Other Territories
10
-
-
-
29
-
-
-
39
Australia
83 418
59 368
47 526
17 342
23 986
6 425
3 794
4 535
246 394



5 In 2001 there were 511 births to women who usually lived overseas. These have been included in this publication and classified according to the state or territory in which the birth was registered.

BIRTHS, BABIES BORN TO NON-RESIDENT MOTHERS IN AUSTRALIA

State or territory of registration
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001

New South Wales
34
50
54
231
312
331
Victoria
22
23
13
8
17
19
Queensland
59
114
89
111
108
108
South Australia
10
19
11
15
8
8
Western Australia
9
12
8
16
21
24
Tasmania
12
-
4
13
7
6
Northern Territory
4
-
-
9
6
8
Australian Capital Territory
7
4
4
5
4
7
Australia
157
223
184
408
483
511



6 As a result of an amendment made in 1992 to section 17(a) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901-1973 (Cwlth) the Indian Ocean territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands have been included as part of geographic Australia, hence another category of the state and territory classification has been created. This category is known as 'Other Territories' and includes Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay Territory.

7 Prior to 1993 usual residence data for Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands were included with Off-shore Areas and Migratory in Western Australia while usual residence data for Jervis Bay Territory were included with the Australian Capital Territory. In 2001 there were 39 births to mothers usually resident in Jervis Bay Territory, Christmas Island or the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Remoteness area

8 Remoteness Areas (RA) are based on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) developed by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) and the National Key Centre For Social Applications of GIS (GISCA). For further information see Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2002, p. 37, (cat. no. 1216.0). For more information on how ARIA is defined see the Information Papers ABS Views on Remoteness, 2001, (cat. no. 1244.0) and Outcomes of ABS Views on Remoteness consultation, Australia, (cat. no. 1244.0.00.001).

Within a state/territory, each RA represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas which share common characteristics of remoteness. While statistical data classed to this structure may be available by state/territory, characteristics of remoteness are determined in the context of Australia as a whole. Therefore, not all RAs are represented in each state/territory. The categories are:
  • Major Cities of Australia: CDs with an average Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) index value of 0 to 0.2
  • Inner Regional Australia: CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 0.2 and less than or equal to 2.4
  • Outer Regional Australia: CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 2.4 and less than or equal to 5.92
  • Remote Australia: CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 5.92 and less than or equal to 10.53
  • Very Remote Australia: CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 10.53
  • Migratory: composed of off-shore, shipping and migratory CDs.

Indigenous births

9 This publication includes a section on the number of Indigenous births for New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory. The data are regarded as being of sufficient quality to publish.

10 The populations used to calculate Indigenous fertility rates prior to 2001 are based on the Experimental Projections of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population, 30 June 1991 to 30 June 2001 (cat. no. 3231.0) and the Experimental Projections of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population, 30 June 1996 to 30 June 2006 (cat. no. 3231.0). These projections are, in turn, based on the 1991 and 1996 Censuses of Population and Housing. The population used to calculate Indigenous fertility rates for 2001 are the preliminary 2001 experimental estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population based on the 2001 Census.

Coverage of Indigenous Birth Registrations

11 There are several data collection forms on which people are asked to state whether they are of Indigenous origin. Due to a number of factors the results are not always consistent. The likelihood that a person will identify, or be identified, as Indigenous on a specific form is known as their propensity to identify as Indigenous. Propensity to identify as Indigenous can be thought of as the proportion of the total, unknown, number of Indigenous people who identify as such on a specific form.

Propensity to identify is determined by a range of factors, including the perception of how the information will be used, education programs about identifying as Indigenous, and emotional reaction to identifying as Indigenous.

There are four estimates of the number of Indigenous births each year. Each is based on a different collection, with a different propensity to identify as Indigenous:
  • 1991 Census-based population projections: The number of Indigenous children in the 1991 Census was used to estimate the fertility rate for 1991. Assuming this fertility rate to continue, and making other assumptions about mortality and interstate migration, the number of births in subsequent years was projected
  • 1996 Census-based population projections: There are two series of projections; a low series and a high series. The low series uses a very similar method to the
  • 1991 Census-based population projections, in that the number of births each year is estimated, using the propensity to identify found in the 1996 Census. The high series uses an alternative assumption of an increasing propensity to identify based on the change between 1991 and 1996
  • Birth Registrations: This publication is based on the registration of births with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each state and territory
  • Perinatal Data Collection: This data is primarily about babies born in hospitals and their mothers.

Related products

12 Other ABS products which may be of interest to users include:
  • AusStats- electronic data (see Explanatory Note 13)
  • Australian Demographic Statistics, cat. no. 3101.0 - issued quarterly
  • Australian Demographic Trends, cat. no. 3102.0 - issued irregularly
  • Causes of Death, Australia, cat. no. 3303.0 - issued annually
  • Deaths, Australia, cat. no. 3302.0 - issued annually
  • Demography - State and territory specific publications issued annually, cat. nos 3311.1-8
  • Experimental Projections of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population, cat. no. 3231.0 - issued irregularly
  • Demographic Estimates and Projections: Concepts, Sources and Methods,

13 AusStats is a web based information service which provides ABS' full standard product range on-line. It also includes companion data in multidimensional datasets in SuperTABLE format, and time series spreadsheets.

14 Current publications produced by the ABS are listed in the Catalogue of Publications and Products (cat. no. 1101.0).

15 As well as the statistics included in this and related publications, additional information is available from this site and accessing Themes/Demography.