DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY
POPULATION
The estimated resident population of the Northern Territory (NT) at the end of December 2001 was 199,900, an increase of 20% over the last 10 years.
The Northern Territory population represents about 1% of Australia's total of 19.6 million. During 2001 the Northern Territory's population increased by 0.7% (1,400). This was lower than the rate of 1.3% in 2000 and is the first time since 1989 that the NT's growth rate has been below 1%.
The growth in the Territory's population during 2001 was due to gains of 3,000 from natural increase, 350 from net overseas migration and a loss of 2,200 from net interstate migration.
BIRTHS
In 2001 there were 3,800 live births registered to mothers whose usual residence was in the Northern Territory. The crude birth rate was 19.1 births per 1,000 population, up from 18.9 in 2000 and still significantly higher than the national rate of 12.6.
The total fertility rate in the Northern Territory in 2001 was 2.3 babies per female, well above the national rate of 1.7.
The peak age group for mothers giving birth in the Northern Territory remained 25–29 years in 2001 with 117.6 babies per 1,000 females. This was lower than the national peak age group of 30–34 years. Exnuptial births comprised 63% of all live births registered in the Northern Territory, more than double the national figure of 31%.
DEATHS
In 2001 there were 870 deaths registered in the Northern Territory. The standardised death rate was 8.1 deaths per 1,000 population compared with 5.4 deaths per 1,000 population nationally.
In 2001 the median age at death in the Northern Territory was 55.6 years for males and 61.4 years for females which was significantly lower than the national median age at death of 75.5 years for males and 81.8 years for females.
There were 40 infant deaths in the Northern Territory in 2001. The infant mortality rate declined substantially from 14.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1991 to 10.7 in 2001 but remained significantly higher than the national rate of 5.3.
OVERSEAS MIGRATION
In 2001 overseas migration was a positive component of population growth with more people choosing to settle in the Northern Territory from an overseas country than leaving the Northern Territory for overseas. This resulted in a net overseas migration gain of 350 people.
INTERSTATE MIGRATION
In 2001 the NT experienced a further loss from net interstate migration with 2,200 more people leaving for other states and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) than arriving to settle in the Northern Territory. Tasmania was the only state that provided a net gain of interstate migrants to the Northern Territory (10) while the largest net loss was to Queensland (1,040).
MARRIAGES
There were 780 marriages registered in the Northern Territory in 2001, a decrease of 9% compared with 2000. The crude marriage rate was 3.9 marriages per 1,000 population, remaining well below the national rate of 5.3.
The median age at marriage in the Northern Territory was 32.1 years for males and 29.9 years for females.
DIVORCES
In 2001 there were 450 divorces granted in the Northern Territory, a decrease of 2% from numbers granted in 2000. The crude divorce rate was 2.2 divorces per 1,000 population in 2001, slightly down from 2.3 in 2000.
The median duration of marriage in 2001 was 10.3 years, compared to 11.8 years nationally.
INDIGENOUS POPULATION
At 30 June 2001 the experimental estimated resident Indigenous population was 57,600. The Indigenous population comprised 29% of the total population of the NT, the highest proportion of any state or territory.
There were 1,700 Indigenous births in the Northern Territory in 2001. Indigenous births comprised 44% of all births registered to mothers usually resident in the NT.
Of the 870 deaths registered in the Northern Territory in 2001, 49% were Indigenous deaths. There were 30 Indigenous infant deaths which comprised 66% of the total infant deaths recorded in the Territory in 2001.
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