EXPLANATORY NOTES


INTRODUCTION

1 This publication contains statistics for births and fertility in Australia. Detailed information can be obtained from data cubes (in Microsoft Excel format) available for download from the ABS website (see paragraph 58).

2 A glossary is provided detailing definitions of terminology used. A list of abbreviations is also available.


SCOPE AND COVERAGE

3 Statistics in this publication relate to the number of births registered during the calendar year shown, unless otherwise stated. Statistics relating to births by year of occurrence can be obtained from data cubes available for download from the ABS website (see paragraph 58).


Scope of birth statistics

4 The ABS Birth Registrations collection includes all births that occurred and were registered in Australia, including births to mothers whose place of usual residence was overseas.

5 The scope of the statistics include:

• all births that were live born and were not previously registered;
• births to temporary visitors to Australia (including visitors from Norfolk Island);
• births that occurred within Australian Territorial waters;
• births that occurred in Australian Antarctic Territories and other external territories (excluding Norfolk Island);
• births that occurred in transit (i.e. on ships or planes) if registered in the state or territory of 'next port of call';
• births to Australian nationals employed overseas at Australian legations and consular offices (i.e. children born overseas to Australian diplomats or their families); and
• births that occurred in earlier years that have not been previously registered (late registrations).

6 The scope of the statistics exclude:

• still births/fetal deaths (these are accounted for in perinatal death statistics published in Perinatal Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3304.0), and previously, Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0));
• adoptions, sex changes, legitimations and corrections;
• births to foreign diplomatic staff; and
• births occurring on Norfolk Island.

7 The scope for each reference year of the Birth Registrations collection include:

• births registered in the reference year and received by ABS in the reference year;
• births registered in the reference year and received by ABS in the first quarter of the subsequent year; and
• births registered in the years prior to the reference year but not received by ABS until the reference year or the first quarter of the subsequent year, provided that these records have not been included in any statistics from earlier periods.

8 Birth records received by ABS during the March quarter 2011 which were initially registered in 2010 (but not fully completed until 2011) were assigned to the 2010 reference year. Any registrations relating to 2010 which were received by ABS from April 2011 were assigned to the 2011 reference year.

9 Prior to 2007, the scope for the reference year of the Birth Registrations collection included:

• births registered in the reference year and received by ABS in the reference year;
• births registered in the reference year and received by ABS in the first quarter of the subsequent year; and
• births registered during the two years prior to the reference year but not received by ABS until the reference year.

Coverage of birth statistics

10 Ideally, for compiling annual time series, the number of events (births) should be recorded as all those occurring within a given reference period such as a calendar year. Due to lags in registration of births and the provision of that information to the ABS from state and territory Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages, data in this publication are presented on a year of registration basis.

11 In effect there are three dates attributable to each birth registration:

• the date of occurrence (of the birth);
• the date of registration or inclusion on the state/territory register; and
• the month and year in which the registered event is provided to the ABS.

12 Data in this publication are presented according to date of registration, unless otherwise stated. The registration date differs between states and territories, and should be taken into account when analysing birth statistics:

• For births registered in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, the birth registration date is the date at which the record is entered into the registration processing system.
• For births registered in Queensland, the registration date is the date at which all data on the birth record are finalised. This may be before the birth is entered into the registration system.
• For births registered in South Australia, preliminary and final registration dates are allocated. Where a record requires further information a preliminary date is assigned. Once all data are finalised, a final registration date is assigned to the birth record which is provided to the ABS as the registration date.
• For births registered in Tasmania, a date is allocated when the birth record is entered into the registration system. The ABS receives an 'insertion' date which is the date when any information relating to the birth is entered into the registration system.
• For births registered in the Northern Territory, the registration date is the date at which the record is entered into the registration system. For birth records not received by the Registrar within 60 days of the birth, the Registrar will register the child as 'unnamed' and not finalised.

CLASSIFICATIONS

Nuptiality

13 Nuptiality relates to the registered marital status of the parent(s) of the child at the time of birth. Confinements and births are classified as:

• nuptial where the father registered was married to the mother at the time of the child's birth, or where the husband died during the mother's pregnancy (confinements and births to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers considered to be tribally married to the father of the child are classified as nuptial); and
• ex-nuptial where the parents were not in a registered marriage at the time of the child's birth, irrespective of whether the parents were living together at the time of the birth.

14 Ex-nuptial births and confinements are further classified as paternity acknowledged (where the father signed the birth registration form) or paternity not acknowledged (where the father did not sign the birth registration form).


Australian Standard Geographical Classification

15 The Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) is a hierarchical classification system consisting of six interrelated classification structures. The ASGC provides a common framework of statistical geography and thereby enables the production of statistics which are comparable and can be spatially integrated. From July 2011, the ABS will be replacing the ASGC with the new Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) that will define more stable, consistent and meaningful areas. Future issues of this publication will release birth statistics under the ASGS (see Appendix: ASGS and the availability of sub-state birth statistics for more information)

16 For further information, refer to Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0) and Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 1 - Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas, July 2011 (cat. no. 1270.0.55.001).


Standard Australian Classification of Countries

17 The Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) (Second Edition) groups neighbouring countries into progressively broader geographical areas on the basis of their similarity in terms of social, cultural, economic and political characteristics.

18 For further information, refer to Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), Second Edition (cat. no. 1269.0).


DATA SOURCES

19 Registration of births is the responsibility of state and territory Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages and is based on data provided on an information form completed by the parent(s) of the child. This form is the basis of data provided to the ABS by the Registrars for compilation into 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 collect additional information.

20 Hospitals and birth clinics notify state and territory registries of recent births on a regular basis. For births where a notification has been received by a registry, but has not been registered within the prescribed time period, a reminder letter is sent to the parent(s) of the child.


State and territory data

21 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.

22 Prior to 1993, births to mothers usually resident in Christmas Island or Cocos (Keeling) Islands were included with Off-Shore Areas and Migratory in Western Australia, while births to mothers usually resident in Jervis Bay Territory were included with the Australian Capital Territory. In 2010, there were 17 births to mothers usually resident in Jervis Bay Territory, Christmas Island or the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

23 Birth statistics for states and territories have been compiled and presented according to the state or territory of usual residence of the mother regardless of where in Australia the birth occurred and was registered, except where otherwise stated. In the following table, data are presented on a state or territory of registration basis. Births which took place outside Australia are excluded from the statistics. Births to mothers who were usual residents of Australia's Other Territories (Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay Territory) are registered in other Australian states.

BIRTHS, State or territory of usual residence of mother and state or territory of registration - 2010
	State or territory of registration
State or territory of usual residence	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust.
New South Wales	93 152	1 080	647	39	32	np	np	962	95 918
Victoria	105	70 309	39	73	23	5	3	11	70 568
Queensland	1 011	50	63 348	17	22	11	5	3	64 467
South Australia	33	30	16	19 943	20	-	34	-	20 076
Western Australia	61	41	47	np	31 221	np	38	-	31 424
Tasmania	11	11	np	np	5	6 352	np	-	6 385
Northern Territory	34	14	47	29	13	-	3 762	-	3 899
Australian Capital Territory	94	8	np	-	4	np	-	5 038	5 149
Other Territories	5	-	-	-	12	-	-	-	17
Australia	94 506	71 543	64 152	20 116	31 352	6 372	3 848	6 014	297 903
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

24 In 2010, there were 353 births registered in Australia to women who usually lived overseas. These have been included in this publication with state or territory of usual residence classified according to the state or territory in which the birth was registered.

Births, Mother usually resident overseas - 2004 to 2010
State or territory of registration	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
New South Wales	380	281	308	324	341	252	308
Victoria	20	23	21	17	20	23	13
Queensland	61	38	41	86	42	27	21
South Australia	9	-	-	3	3	np	-
Western Australia	18	8	13	21	18	13	np
Tasmania	-	3	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Territory	3	5	4	np	np	np	np
Australian Capital Territory	-	7	3	np	np	-	np
Australia	491	364	391	456	429	323	353
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

Sub-state/territory fertility rates

25 Age-specific and total fertility rates for sub-state/territory regions (for example, Statistical Divisions) presented in data cubes released with this publication are average rates for three years ending in the reference year. Rates for Australia and the states and territories in all other tables are based on single years of birth registration data.


DATA QUALITY

26 In compiling birth statistics, the ABS employs a variety of measures to improve the quality of the birth registrations collection. While every opportunity is taken to ensure that the highest quality of statistics are provided, the following are known issues associated with the statistics included in this publication.


Interval between occurrence and registration of births

27 For the most part, statistics in this publication refer to births registered during the calendar year shown. There is usually an interval between the occurrence and registration of a birth (referred to as a registration 'lag') and as a result, some births occurring in one year are not registered until the following year or later. This can be caused by either a delay by the parent(s) in submitting a completed form to the registry, or a delay by the registry in processing the birth. Births which occur in November and December are also likely to be registered in the following year.

Births registered in 2010, Year of occurrence - Selected years
	2004 and earlier	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
State or territory of registration	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
New South Wales	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	10.2	89.3
Victoria	0.5	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	10.5	88.0
Queensland	2.2	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.5	11.0	84.4
South Australia	1.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	6.5	91.6
Western Australia	1.2	0.2	0.5	0.4	0.3	7.4	90.0
Tasmania	2.6	-	0.1	-	0.1	3.0	94.2
Northern Territory	0.1	-	-	0.1	-	8.3	91.5
Australian Capital Territory	0.3	0.1	0.3	0.2	0.2	8.1	90.8
Australia	0.9	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	9.7	88.4
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

28 Of the 297,900 births registered in 2010, 88.4% occurred in 2010, while 9.7% occurred in 2009 and the remainder (2.0%) occurred in 2008 or earlier years.


Recent registration lags in Queensland

29 As a result of recent changes in the timeliness of registration of births in Queensland, care should be taken when interpreting changes in Queensland births between 2005 and 2010. In Queensland, 11.0% of the 64,500 births registered in 2010 occurred in 2009. A further 4.6% occurred in 2008 or earlier years. This lag is less than in recent years, indicating potential improvements in the timeliness of registration of births in Queensland.

30 The December quarter 2009 also saw the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages devoting significant time and resources to follow-up and finalise birth registrations where there was previously incomplete information. As part of the 'Retrospective Births Project', 1,780 births were registered, with approximately 40% registered as Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births (see paragraph 38 for more information). This project is now complete.

Births registered in Queensland, Year of registration by year of occurrence
	Year of registration
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Year of occurrence	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
2001 and earlier	2.9	2.3	1.7	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.4
2002	1.2	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.2	0.2
2003	11.3	1.0	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.3
2004	84.7	10.7	0.8	0.5	0.9	0.6	0.3
2005	-	85.4	14.8	1.1	0.6	1.1	0.7
2006	-	-	81.3	16.2	1.1	1.3	0.7
2007	-	-	-	79.7	13.2	1.3	0.5
2008	-	-	-	-	81.3	12.8	0.5
2009	-	-	-	-	-	80.5	11.0
2010	-	-	-	-	-	-	84.4
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

Tasmanian birth registrations

31 The Tasmanian Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1999 requires hospitals, doctors, midwives or other responsible persons to provide the Tasmanian Registrar with a list of babies born containing basic information such as date of birth and sex of the baby. In the case of a live birth, the birth notification must be provided within 21 days of the birth. These notifications have been provided to the ABS since 2002 and are also used in producing quarterly population estimates.

32 Under the Act, the birth of a child must also be registered by lodging a birth registration statement with the Registrar within 60 days after the date of birth of the child. Once the parent(s) submits the birth registration statement, the record is updated and the Registrar provides ABS with a complete registration record. Where a match between a birth notification and birth registration statement is identified, the record is quality assured to ensure completeness of the record.

33 Prior to 2007, records for which a birth registration form was not received were coded as 'ex-nuptial, paternity not acknowledged'. As a result, the number of ex-nuptial births in Tasmania may be overstated for 2002 to 2006. From 2007, these records have been excluded from all nuptiality statistics. In 2010, there were 159 unmatched birth registration forms.


Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births and fertility rates

34 The ABS Birth Registrations collection records a birth as being an Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander birth where at least one parent reported themselves as being an Australian Aboriginal person, Torres Strait Islander, or both on the birth registration form. Therefore, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births may be attributed to either:

• Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander mothers, including births where both the mother and father are Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons; or
• Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander fathers and non-Indigenous mothers.

35 There are several data collection forms on which people are asked to state whether they are Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Due to a number of factors, the results are not always consistent. The likelihood that a person will report, or be recorded, as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person on a specific form is known as their propensity to identify. Propensity to identify can be thought of as the proportion of the total, unknown, number of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are reported and were recorded as such on a specific form.

36 Propensity to identify and be recorded as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is determined by a range of factors, including how the information is collected; who completes the form; the perceptions of how the information will be used; education programs about reporting as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person; and cultural aspects and feelings associated with reporting as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.

37 Data presented in this publication may therefore underestimate the level of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births and fertility in Australia. Lags in registrations may also affect reliability of measures of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fertility. Caution should be exercised when interpreting Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data presented in this publication, especially with regard to year-to-year changes.

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in 2010, Year of occurrence - Selected years
	2004 and earlier	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
State or territory of registration	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
New South Wales	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3	11.4	87.1
Victoria	5.6	1.1	1.2	1.1	2.1	18.5	70.6
Queensland	11.2	2.4	2.3	1.7	1.7	13.2	67.5
South Australia	10.5	1.0	1.3	0.9	0.7	9.6	76.0
Western Australia	9.2	1.1	2.4	1.6	1.7	12.4	71.6
Tasmania	3.1	-	0.2	-	-	3.1	93.6
Northern Territory	0.3	0.1	-	-	-	12.8	86.8
Australia	6.2	1.2	1.4	1.0	1.1	12.4	76.8
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

Recent registration lags in Queensland

38 As described in paragraph 30, the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages undertook a 'Retrospective Births Project' during 2009 resulting in the registration of births where there was previously incomplete information. A significant proportion of these births were registered as Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births, which has affected fertility data in Queensland for 2009 (see Chapter 4: Effect of delayed birth registrations in Australia in the 2009 issue of Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0) for more information). Caution should be exercised when interpreting year-to-year changes for Queensland data.

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in Queensland, Year of registration by year of occurrence
	Year of registration
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Year of occurrence	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
2001 and earlier	9.5	7.8	6.9	6.3	7.0	6.3	7.7
2002	3.7	2.1	2.0	1.8	3.7	1.0	0.8
2003	16.4	3.8	2.6	1.8	2.2	2.2	1.4
2004	70.3	15.9	3.1	1.6	4.0	2.3	1.3
2005	-	70.5	19.7	3.5	2.0	4.5	2.4
2006	-	-	65.7	18.0	3.4	5.9	2.3
2007	-	-	-	66.9	14.4	5.6	1.7
2008	-	-	-	-	63.3	16.0	1.7
2009	-	-	-	-	-	56.0	13.2
2010	-	-	-	-	-	-	67.5
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

Registration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births in New South Wales

39 Since 2006, Indigenous status of the mother and father for births registered in New South Wales has not been consistent with other jurisdictions. Specifically, where one parent is an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, the other parent will be processed as either 'Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander' or 'Not stated'. Further, where one parent is 'Non-Indigenous', the other parent will also be processed as 'Non-Indigenous' or 'Not stated'. The Indigenous status of the child, where the birth is registered in New South Wales, is derived from the Indigenous status of each of the parents. Indigenous status of births registered in New South Wales should therefore be interpreted with caution. The ABS has been advised that this matter is being investigated as part of other processing system developments underway.

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in New South Wales, Indigenous status of parents - 2010
	Indigenous status of father
Indigenous status of mother	Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander	Non-Indigenous	Not stated	Total
New South Wales
Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander	888	-	1 813	2 701
Non-Indigenous	-	-	-	-
Not stated	1 579	-	-	1 579
Total	2 467	-	1 813	4 280
Rest of Australia
Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander	4 205	2 861	2 042	9 108
Non-Indigenous	2 655	-	-	2 655
Not stated	86	-	-	86
Total	6 946	2 861	2 042	11 849
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

40 ABS are currently investigating the recent volatility in the number of births of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In 2010, 161 births were to mothers who reported themselves as being an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, however were born overseas. Of these births, 64% were to mothers born in South Pacific countries, such as New Zealand, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, and the majority of these (65 births) were to mothers who reported themselves as being Torres Strait Islander, or both Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander on the birth registration form. This may indicate that these mothers are seeking to report their Pacific Islander ancestry (for which provision is not made in the Birth Registration Statement forms in Australia) rather than reporting to be Torres Strait Islanders. However, the 9 births to mothers born in Papua New Guinea in 2010 who reported being Torres Strait Islanders may be correctly recorded. Until this investigation is finalised, caution should be exercised when interpreting Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data presented in this publication for 2007 onwards.

41 Chapter 3 reports on the number and characteristics of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births and fertility rates in each state and territory, excluding the Australian Capital Territory and Other Territories. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data for the Australian Capital Territory and Other Territories are not analysed separately due to small numbers, but are included in totals for Australia.

42 The populations used to calculate Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fertility rates in this publication are estimates and projections of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander female population aged 15-49 years, based on results of the 2006 Census of Population and Housing. For more information, see Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 1991 to 2021 (cat. no. 3238.0).

43 Estimates of annual numbers of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births in Australia are available from two collections:

• ABS Birth Registrations: this publication is based on the registration of births with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each state and territory; and
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit perinatal statistics series: these data are primarily about babies born in hospitals and their mothers (see online Appendix: Differences Between Collections for more information).

44 In addition to these collections, it is possible to derive indirect estimates and projections of numbers of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births, based on 2006 Census-based Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates:

• For 30 June 1991 to 30 June 2005, estimates of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population were derived from the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resident population as at 30 June 2006 using a reverse survival technique based on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life tables (see Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 1991 to 2021 (cat. no. 3238.0)). Indirect estimates of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births can then be derived using the number of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0 at 30 June of each year.
• For 30 June 2007 to 30 June 2021, projections of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population were derived from the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resident population as at 30 June 2006 using assumptions on future levels of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fertility, mortality and migration. Numbers of projected Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births were derived by applying assumed fertility rates to the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander female population aged 15-49 years at 30 June of each year (see Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 1991 to 2021 (cat. no. 3238.0)).

Edits and imputations

45 During edit processes for the Birth Registrations collection, some items are corrected where they conflict with other known information. Missing data for some data items are imputed when appropriate. In 2010, there were 340 birth registrations for which place of usual residence was imputed, and 13 registrations for which sex was not reported and was imputed.


Parity (previous children of mother)

46 Parity refers to the number of (live) births that a woman has had. Birth order refers to whether a birth is the first, second, third or higher-order birth of the parent. In registering births, information is collected on the number of previous children born to a mother.

47 Changes in ABS processing of birth registrations from 2007 have resulted in the availability of improved information on previous births to mothers. Prior to 2007, ABS published information on previous births of the mother from the current relationship only, for all states and territories. From 2007 onwards, data on previous births for all relationships (both current and previous, if any) of the mother are collected for all states and territories, excluding Victoria and Queensland. Due to the high proportion (27%) of confinements in Tasmania in 2010 for which no information on previous children of the mother was available, data for Tasmania should be interpreted with caution. As a result of these inconsistencies, Australian parity figures in this publication exclude data for Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.

48 These data are collected as a result of the increasing demand for parity data for analysis and dissemination. For more information on the use of parity data and collection methods associated with these statistics, see Corr, P. and Kippen, R. 2006, The Case for Parity and Birth-Order Statistics, Australia and New Zealand Journal of Statistics, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 171-200.

49 As a result of the above changes, data on previous births for 2007 onwards are not comparable with data for earlier years. However, the improved information indicates that the prevalence of first births (that is, mothers with no previous children) was overestimated prior to 2007, while numbers of mothers with two or more previous children were underestimated.

Previous children of the mother(a), Australia(b) - 2004 to 2010
	None	One	Two	Three	Four	Five or more	Total(c)
Year of registration(d)	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
2004	47.5	31.7	12.4	3.0	0.9	0.6	100.0
2005	47.2	32.1	12.1	3.4	1.0	0.6	100.0
2006	47.0	31.8	12.4	3.6	1.0	0.7	100.0
2007	42.5	32.6	14.8	5.1	1.9	1.2	100.0
2008	42.9	33.1	15.0	5.4	2.0	1.4	100.0
2009	44.0	33.3	14.5	5.1	2.0	1.2	100.0
2010	44.0	33.4	14.6	5.0	1.9	1.2	100.0
(a) Previous children refers to the number of previous births of the mother, at the time of the birth registration in the reference year.
(b) Excludes births registered in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.
(c) Includes births where previous children of the mother is not stated.
(d) Data for 2004 to 2006 are the number of previous births of the mother from the current relationship only. Data for 2007 onwards are previous births of the mother for all relationships.

Age of parent(s)

50 During birth registration processing since 2007, discrepancies were identified between age of mother data as provided to the ABS by the Registrars and age of mother derived from date of birth of mother. In 2010, there were 7,892 records (3% of all confinements) for which the derived age of mother was found to be inconsistent with the reported age. For these records, the derived age of mother was used. The same process was applied to information on age of father, for which 7,638 records were affected. For years prior to 2007, median age may have been overstated.


CONFIDENTIALITY

51 The Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides the authority for the ABS to collect statistical information, and requires that statistical output shall not be published or disseminated in a manner that is likely to enable the identification of a particular person or organisation. This requirement means that the ABS must take care and make assurances that any statistical information about individual respondents cannot be derived from published data.

52 Where necessary, tables in this publication have had small values suppressed or randomised to protect confidentiality. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals.


ROUNDING

53 Calculations as shown in the commentary sections of this publication are based on unrounded figures. Calculations using rounded figures may differ from those published. Where figures have been rounded in tables, discrepancies may occur between sums of component items and totals.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

54 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, business, governments and other organisations. The efforts of Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages to improve the data quality, coverage and timeliness of birth registration information, processes and systems are noted and valued by the ABS. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated; without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.


RELATED PRODUCTS

55 Other ABS products which may be of interest to users include:

Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0)
Australian Historical Population Statistics (cat. no. 3105.0.65.001)
Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0)
Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0)
Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0)
Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0)
Population Estimates: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 3228.0.55.001)
Experimental Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Jun 2006 (cat. no. 3238.0.55.001)
Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 1991 to 2021 (cat. no. 3238.0)
Occasional Paper: Population Issues, Indigenous Australians (cat. no. 4708.0)
Perinatal Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3304.0)
Population Projections, Australia (cat. no. 3222.0)
Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) (cat. no. 1269.0)
The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (cat. no. 4704.0)

56 Other publications which may be of interest to users include Australia's Mothers and Babies, 2008, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Perinatal Statistics Unit, AIHW website <www.aihw.gov.au>. Please note there are differences between the ABS and AIHW birth collections; these are discussed in Appendix: Differences Between Collections included with this publication on the ABS website.

57 ABS products and publications are available free of charge from the ABS website <https://www.abs.gov.au>. Click on Statistics to gain access to the full range of ABS statistical or reference information.


ADDITIONAL STATISTICS AVAILABLE

58 More detailed birth and fertility statistics can be obtained from data cubes (in Microsoft Excel format) available for download from the ABS website in Births, Australia, 2010 (cat. no. 3301.0):

• Table 1: Births, Summary, States and territories - 2000 to 2010
• Table 2: Births, Summary, Statistical Divisions - 2005 to 2010
• Table 3: Births, Summary, Statistical Local Areas - 2005 to 2010
• Table 4: Births, Summary, Local Government Areas - 2005 to 2010
• Table 5: Births, Summary, Remoteness Areas - 2005 to 2010
• Table 6: Births, Year and month of occurrence, States and territories - 2000 to 2010
• Table 7: Births, Nuptiality and age of parents, Australia - 2010
• Table 8: Births, Country of birth of parents, Australia - 2010
• Table 9: Multiple births, States and territories - 2000 to 2010
• Table 10: Births of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Summary, States and territories - 2005 to 2010
• Table 11: Age-specific fertility rates and total fertility rate, Single year of age of mother, Australia - 1975 to 2010

59 As well as the statistics included in this and related publications, the ABS may have other relevant data available on request. Inquiries should be made to the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

60 The ABS also issues a daily Release Advice on the website which details the products to be released in the week ahead.