1308.8 - In fACT - Statistical Information on the ACT and Region, Feb 2011  
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Contents >> People >> Vital statistics

VITAL STATISTICS

Introduction

Births

Fertility rates

Deaths

Life expectancy

Causes of death

Marriages

Divorces


Introduction

The statistics presented in this commentary are the latest available at the time of publishing and will be updated or added to on a continuing basis.

Vital statistics relate to specified and defined vital events such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces, the relevant characteristics of the events themselves and of the person or persons concerned. This commentary focuses vital statistics in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Vital statistics are an essential input for the planning of human development. Knowledge of the size and characteristics of a country’s population on a timely basis is a prerequisite to socioeconomic planning. Because a population increases by the addition of births and decreases by the subtraction of deaths, information about the number of births and deaths occurring in a population is crucial for estimating the natural increase (or decrease) and the annual change in population size and structure for that population. Information on the number of births occurring over a time period, classified by various characteristics of the women giving birth, constitutes the basis for analysis of the dynamics of reproduction. Information on deaths, classified by various characteristics of the deceased, especially age and sex, is necessary for calculating life-tables and estimating the probability of dying at various ages. The fertility and mortality estimates, derived from births and deaths statistics respectively, are essential for a variety of purposes, including an understanding of the growth dynamics of the population concerned; an assessment of the human aspects of socioeconomic development; the measurement of the risks of dying for males and females at specific ages for insurance and social security purposes; and for population projections (Endnote 1)

Statistics on births and deaths in the ACT are compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from information provided by the ACT Office of Regulatory Services. Refer to Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0) and Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0) for details. The statistics are compiled for a calendar year in which the birth or death was registered. Birth statistics are presented on the basis of place of usual residence of the mother and death statistics are presented on the basis of place of usual residence of the deceased.

Statistics on marriages and divorces in the ACT are compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from information provided by the ACT Office of Regulatory Services and Family Courts. Refer to Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0) for details.

Marriage statistics provide valuable information for the analysis of family formation in the ACT on registered marriages by age, previous martial status, country of birth and relative country of birth of both males and females, type of celebrant, and whether couples live together prior to marriage. Crude and age-specific marriage rates are also provided. Divorces statistics provide information on divorces granted in Australia in 2008. Key indicators of divorces in the ACT, based on the location of the court granting divorce, are included in the analytical commentary.


Births

In 2009, there were 4,900 births registered to mothers usually resident in ACT. Of these, 4,800 births occurred within the ACT while an additional 100 births occurred interstate. The total of 4,900 births to ACT mothers is an increase of 1% on the previous year. The sex ratio at birth was 112.6 male births to every 100 female births and this was only marginally above the national average. Of the 4,900 births 74 were multiple births.

Due to cross-border mobility as a result of the geographic proximity of the ACT and NSW, typically there are more births registered in the ACT each year than there are births to mothers usually resident in the ACT. In 2009, there were 5,700 births registered in the ACT. Of these 4,800 (83%) were to ACT mothers while 900 (17%) lived outside the ACT. By far the majority of these non-ACT births were to others who lived in NSW.

It should be noted that births usually have a time interval (or lag) between occurrence and registration, which can be attributed to either a delay by the parent(s) in the submission of a form to the registry or a delay in registry processing. Of the 5,700 births registered in the ACT in 2009, 92% occurred in 2009, 7% occurred in 2008 and the remaining 1% occurred in 2007 or earlier years.

BIRTHS, Summary statistics: Australian Capital Territory

1999
2006
2007
2008
2009

Births to mothers usually resident in the ACT
Registered in the ACT no.
4 173
4 400
4 663
4 718
4 764
Registered elsewhere in Australia no.
80
79
90
86
94
Total no.
4 253
4 479
4 753
4 804
4 858
Sex ratio at births(a) rate
100.2
105.5
104.4
105.7
112.6
Births registered in the ACT
To mothers usually resident in the ACT no.
4 173
4 400
4 663
4 718
4 764
To mothers resident elsewhere in Australia no.
585
885
936
930
955
Total no.
4 758
5 285
5 599
5 648
5 719

(a) Number of male live births per 100 female live births.
Source: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0), ABS data available on request, Births collection.



Fertility rates

Total fertility rate is defined as the sum of age-specific fertility rates. It represents the number of children a woman would bear during her lifetime if at each year of her reproductive life she experienced the age-specific fertility rates of the current year. For additional reference, refer to the Glossary of Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).

Over the last decade the total fertility rate for the ACT was consistently lower than the national average (see graph below).

Consistent with national trends, the age-specific fertility rates for 2009 in the ACT were highest for women aged 30-34 years (130.8 births per 1,000 women in this age group). While the ACT's total fertility rate for women has gradually increased from a low in 2001 of 1.52 to 1.74 in 2009, the ACT, along with Victoria, has the lowest teenage fertility rate in Australia (both 10 babies per 1,000 women).

The crude birth rate is the number of births registered during the calendar year per 1,000 estimated resident population at 30 June of that year. The crude birth rate for the ACT has risen from a low in 2005 of 12.7 to 13.8 births per 1,000 population in 2009.

TOTAL FERTILITY RATE(a)
Graph: Total fertility rate, ACT and Australia

FERTILITY RATES, Australian Capital Territory

2006
2007
2008
2009
rate
rate
rate
rate

Age-specific fertility rates(a)
15-19 years(b)
9.1
10.3
8.0
9.7
20-24 years
32.5
34.5
35.0
34.6
25-29 years
87.7
92.3
83.8
85.0
30-34 years
125.2
127.8
129.8
130.8
35-39 years
69.3
71.5
77.2
70.7
40-44 years
13.5
13.8
15.4
15.5
45-49 years(c)
0.6
0.8
0.5
1.3
Total fertility rate(d)
1.688
1.755
1.750
1.737
Crude birth rate(e)
13.4
13.9
13.9
13.8

(a) Births per 1,000 women.
(b) Includes births to mother aged less than 15 years.
(c) Includes births to mother aged 50 years and over.
(d) Births per woman.
(e) Births per 1,000 estimated resident population.
Source: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).



Deaths

For the most part, statistics presented in Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0) refer to deaths registered during the calendar year. As with births, deaths are presented on the basis of state of usual residence of the deceased (unless otherwise stated), which may not necessarily be the state of occurrence or the state of registration of the death.

The total number of deaths of residents of the ACT increased in the past decade from 1,300 in 1999 to 1,600 deaths in 2009.

In 2009, a total of 1,900 deaths were registered in the ACT, of these 1,600 or 86% were usual residents of the ACT and the remainder were deaths of residents of other states.

Taking into account the effect of changes in the age structure of the ACT over time, the standardised death rate for the ACT decreased from 6.5 deaths to 5.4 deaths per 1,000 standard population between 1999 and 2009, resulting in the ACT consistently having one of the lowest standardised death rates of the states and territories. In comparison, the standardised death rate for Australia decreased from 7.1 deaths to 5.7 deaths per 1,000 standard population over the same period.

DEATHS, Summary statistics: Australian Capital Territory

1999
2006
2007
2008
2009

Deaths of usual residents of the ACT
Registered in the ACT no.
1 270
1 419
1 545
1 646
1 595
Registered elsewhere in Australia no.
61
65
52
51
53
Total no.
1 331
1 484
1 597
1 697
1 648
Standardised death rate(a) rate
6.5
5.5
5.6
5.8
5.4
Life expectancy at birth
Males years
77.8
80.0
80.3
80.1
80.5
Females years
81.8
83.9
84.0
84.0
84.3
Median age at death
Males years
72.3
76.0
76.6
78.1
76.8
Females years
79.5
82.6
82.4
83.0
83.2
Deaths registered in the ACT
Resident of the ACT no.
1 270
1 419
1 545
1 646
1 595
Resident elsewhere in Australia no.
244
237
236
285
270
Total no.
1 514
1 656
1 781
1 931
1 865

(a) Deaths per 1,000 standard population. Standardised death rates use total persons in the 2001 Australian population as the standard population.
Source: Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0); ABS data available on request, Deaths collection.



Life expectancy

Life expectancy refers to the average number of additional years a person of a given age and sex might expect to live if the age-specific death rates of the given period continued throughout his/her lifetime. For additional reference, refer to the Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0).

Life expectancy at birth for boys born in the ACT in 2009 was 80.5 years, while life expectancy for girls was 84.3 years. This was higher than the national average for both sexes. Nationally, life expectancy at birth increased between 1999 and 2009 by 3.1 years to 79.3 years for males and by 2.1 years to 83.9 for females.

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH, Australian Capital Territory and Australia - 1998-2008
Graph: Life expectancy at birth, ACT and Australia



Causes of death

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the international standard classification for epidemiological purposes and is designed to promote international comparability in the collection, processing, classification, and presentation of causes of death statistics. The classification is used to classify diseases and causes of disease or injury as recorded on many types of medical records as well as death records. The ICD has been revised periodically to incorporate changes in the medical field. Currently ICD 10th revision is used for Australian causes of death statistics. Refer to Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0) for additional details.

According to Causes of Death, Australia, the four main causes of death for ACT residents in 2009 were Neoplasms (C00-D48), Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99), Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99) and Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99).

Of all deaths of people with a state of usual residence of the ACT, 33.7% or 459 deaths were caused by Neoplasms (cancer). Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs (C15-C26) accounted for 28.5% (131 deaths) of all Neoplasms, followed by Malignant neoplasms of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (C30-C39) with 15.0% (69 deaths).

Diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 32.3% or 439 of all deaths in the ACT. This was followed by Mental and behavioural disorders which accounted for 6.2% or 84 deaths and Diseases of the respiratory system with 5.8% or 79 deaths.


Marriages

In 2009, there were 1,562 marriages registered in the ACT, a decrease of 112 from 1,674 marriages registered for 2008.

MARRIAGES REGISTERED(a), Australian Capital Territory
Graph: Marriages registered in the ACT


The crude marriage rate reflects the number of marriages per 1,000 estimated resident population (ERP). The crude marriage rate of the ACT has been lower than that of Australia in recent years. The ACT crude marriage is 4.4 marriages per 1,000 ERP for 2009. Nationally, the crude marriage rate is 5.5 marriages per 1,000 ERP for 2009.

Marriages in which neither party had been previously married accounted for 70% of registered marriages in the ACT in 2009, similar to the proportion recorded the previous year. There were 263 marriages (17%) in which one party had been married previously and 209 marriages (13%) in which both parties were re-marrying.

The median marriage age continued to increase in the ACT in 2009. Over the past 10 years, the median age for males increased from 30.4 years in 1999 to 31.2 years in 2009. Similarly, the median age of females marrying has increased from 28.2 years in 1999 to 29.1 years in 2009.

In the ACT during 2009, the median age at marriage for grooms who had never been married was 29.0 years, while for brides it was 27.8 years. Divorcees who remarried in the ACT in 2009 had median ages of 47.2 years for grooms and 43.7 years for brides. These were comparable with the ages nationally.

The percentage of couples that were living together before marriage has increased over recent years. Of the 1,562 couples who registered a marriage in the ACT in 2009, 82% indicated that they had cohabited prior to registering their marriage.

In 2009, 978 (63%) marriages in the ACT were performed by Civil celebrants, while 584 (37%) were performed by Ministers of religion. Marriages performed by a Minister of Religion have been decreasing in popularity in favour of a Civil celebrant. In 1989, Civil celebrants performed for 44.2% of all ACT marriages, while in 1998, Civil celebrants overtook Ministers of religion as the preferred officiate. Of the 584 marriages performed by Ministers of religion in 2009, the most common rites used were Catholic (31%), followed by Anglican (24%).

MARRIAGES, By Category of celebrant - ACT
Graph: Marriages, By Category of celebrant, ACT


March was the most popular month for marriages in 2009 in the ACT, with 15% of marriages being performed, followed by November with 14%. July was the least popular month for marriages, with only 3.0% of marriages taking place in that month. Saturday 21 March was the most popular day of 2009 to get married in the ACT, with 49 marriage ceremonies being performed on that day.

Month of occurrence of marriage, ACT - 2009
Graph: Month of occurance of marriage in ACT



Divorces

There were 1,419 divorces registered in the ACT in 2009, an increase 5% from the 1,351 registered in 2008.

The state of registration is not considered a reliable proxy for usual residence because some Family Courts have responsibility for hearing divorce cases relating to residents of other states or territories. For example, courts in the Australian Capital Territory hear cases from much of south-eastern New South Wales and parts of Victoria due to the proximity of the court for residents of this area. Due to the large number of divorces granted in the Australian Capital Territory to usual residents of other states and territories, the crude divorce rate and age specific divorce rates of the Australian Capital Territory are not reliable and so are not produced in this publication.

In 2009, the median age at divorce decreased to 44.8 years for men and 41.6 years for women and an overall increase of 3.5 years for males and 3.1 years for females since 1999. Nationally, the median age at divorce was 44.4 years for men and 41.5 years for women in 2009. This is an increase of 3.5 years for males and 3.3 years for females since 1999.

For couples divorcing in the ACT in 2009, the median duration from marriage to divorce was 13.0 years, higher than the national median duration of 12.3 years. The median duration from marriage to separation was also higher in the ACT at 9.6 years compared with 8.7 years nationally.

In 2009, 41.7% of all divorces applied for in the ACT were initiated jointly, compared with 36.5% nationally. 32.7% of applicants were initiated by females and 25.6% of applicants were initiated by males.

End note:

1. United Nations, Economic and Social Council, Statistical Commission Thirtieth Session, E/CN.3/1999/10, p.13, United Nations, 1-5 March 1999.




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