 | MEDIA RELEASE | |
| 29 October 2015 | Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time) | 119/2015 |
Inner city areas have lowest birth rates
Australia’s total birth rate in 2014 was 1.80 babies per woman, down from 1.88 in 2013, according to figures released today by
the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
“This rate has been declining since 2008, though not reaching the low recorded in 2001
,” said AJ Lanyon from the ABS.
“There was a strong pattern in our major cities where the highest birth rates were in outer suburbs and very low rates in the inner city. These inner city areas had high proportions of younger people, but few babies
.”
“A total of 299,700 births were registered in Australia in 2014, down from 308,100 in 2013," said Ms Lanyon.
“2014 also saw the lowest recorded number of births to teenaged mothers (9,204). The proportion of all births to mothers aged 19 and under was 3.1 per cent, following a steady decline from 10.4 per cent in 1975."
Age-specific fertility rates generally decreased, except for a small increase amongst 45-49 year olds. Fertility rates for 30-34 year olds remained the highest, followed by 25-29 year olds.
Consistent with previous years, Victoria recorded the lowest total fertility rate (1.73) and Northern Territory the highest (2.10).
In 2014, the total fertility rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers decreased to 2.20 babies per woman, down from 2.34 in 2013.
There were 17,800 births registered (6 per cent of all births) where at least one parent was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian; the same proportion was recorded in 2013.
More details, including maps of capital cities, and state and sub-state information, can be found in Births, Australia, 2014 (cat. no. 3301.0) available for free download from the ABS website
www.abs.gov.au.
Media notes:
- Population fertility rates measure a community's actual reproductive outcomes - a concept of adding to the population through live births. Still births are not added to the population and therefore are not counted in this context, however, they are reported in Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0), and previously in Perinatal Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3304.0).
- The total fertility rate represents the average number of babies that a woman could expect to bear if current fertility rates prevail throughout her reproductive lifetime.
- Temporary processing delays have contributed to the low number of births registered in New South Wales for 2014.
- Maps of capital cities, illustrating the range of fertility rates, are available under Fertility Maps.
- Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) as the source.
- Media requests and interviews - contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070.
Births, Summary Statistics |
|
| | | | | Change (%) | Change (%) |
| | 2004 | 2013 | 2014(c) | 2004 to 2014 | 2013 to 2014 |
|
| Australia(a) | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 254,246 | 308,065 | 299,697 | 17.9 | -2.7 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.782 | 1.883 | 1.799 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 30.6 | 30.8 | 30.9 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 32.8 | 33.0 | 33.0 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| New South Wales | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 85,894 | 100,462 | 91,074 | 6.0 | -9.3 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.801 | 1.940 | 1.727 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 30.6 | 31.0 | 31.2 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 32.9 | 33.3 | 33.4 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| Victoria | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 62,417 | 73,969 | 74,224 | 18.9 | 0.3 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.713 | 1.766 | 1.730 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 31.3 | 31.5 | 31.5 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 33.3 | 33.6 | 33.6 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| Queensland | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 49,940 | 63,354 | 63,066 | 26.3 | -0.5 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.837 | 1.941 | 1.906 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 29.8 | 29.9 | 30.1 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 32.0 | 32.1 | 32.1 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| South Australia | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 17,140 | 20,090 | 20,384 | 18.9 | 1.5 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.699 | 1.847 | 1.855 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 30.8 | 30.4 | 30.6 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 33.0 | 32.6 | 32.8 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| Western Australia | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 25,295 | 34,516 | 35,403 | 40.0 | 2.6 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.814 | 1.877 | 1.873 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 30.2 | 30.4 | 30.6 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 32.6 | 32.7 | 32.8 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| Tasmania | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 5,809 | 6,049 | 5,935 | 2.2 | -1.9 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.908 | 2.013 | 1.989 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 29.2 | 29.4 | 29.6 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 31.6 | 31.7 | 31.7 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| Northern Territory | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 3,551 | 4,053 | 4,026 | 13.4 | -0.7 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 2.154 | 2.118 | 2.103 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 28.3 | 29.0 | 28.9 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 31.8 | 31.6 | 31.6 | .. | .. |
| | | | | | |
| Australian Capital Territory | | | | | |
| Births (no.) | 4,174 | 5,545 | 5,552 | 33.0 | 0.1 |
| Total fertility rate(b) | 1.594 | 1.788 | 1.769 | .. | .. |
| Median age of mother (years) | 31.6 | 31.6 | 31.6 | .. | .. |
| Median age of father (years) | 33.4 | 33.8 | 33.7 | .. | .. |
|
| (a) Includes Other Territories. |
| (b) Babies per woman. The total fertility rate represents the average number of babies that a woman could expect to bear during her reproductive lifetime if current fertility rates continue. |
| (c) A new confidentiality method has been applied. See CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE (go to the Summary tab and then IN THIS ISSUE). |
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