QUEENSLAND BIRTHS AND FERTILITY BUCK THE TREND IN 2009 MORTALITY IN QUEENSLAND

Queensland births and fertility buck the trend in 2009
Mortality in Queensland



Queensland births and fertility buck the trend in 2009There were 66,100 births registered in Queensland in 2009, approximately 3,000 (5%) more than the number registered in 2008 (63,100). In 2009, only Queensland and the ACT recorded increases in the number of births registered from 2008. In Queensland, this increase in registrations may be due to the Queensland Registry embarking on various projects in 2009 to improve the timeliness and completeness of the data provided to the ABS. Of the births registered in 2009, there were 5,200 births (8% of all births) where at least one parent identified themselves as being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin on the birth registration statement.

In 2009, the median age of all mothers for births registered in Queensland was 29.6 years, while the median age of fathers was 32.0 years. The median age for both mothers and fathers in Queensland were younger than the median age in Australia of 30.6 and 33.0 years respectively.

In Queensland, 57% of births were to parents in a registered marriage. Of the births where the parents were in an ex-nuptial relationship there were 13% where the birth was not acknowledged by the father.

Queensland's total fertility rate (TFR) in 2009 was 2.12 babies per woman, a small increase from 2.08 babies per woman in 2008. In 2009, Queensland was the only state to record an increase in TFR from 2008. Fertility rates increased slightly for all age groups between 2008 and 2009, except for women aged 25-29 years for whom the fertility rate decreased slightly and women aged 45–49 years for whom the fertility rate remained the same. Women aged 30–34 years in Queensland experienced the highest fertility rate of all age groups in 2009, with 124.8 babies per 1,000 women.

Queensland's teenage fertility rate in 2009 was 26.7 babies per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years, an increase from 24.7 babies per 1,000 women in 2008. This was the third highest teenage fertility rate in the country in 2009, behind the Northern Territory (48.0 babies per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years) and Tasmania (27.1 babies per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years).

The TFR for Indigenous women in Queensland increased to 3.17 babies per woman, up from 2.73 babies per woman in 2008. This significant increase may be due to a project undertaken by the Queensland Registry in 2009, where 40% of the births registered during the project were of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

Women in regional Queensland are likely to have more babies during their reproductive lifetime than their urban dwelling counterparts. In 2009, the Statistical Divisions (SD) of South West and North West recording the highest TFRs in Queensland of 2.85 babies per woman and 2.79 babies per women respectively. These regional SD's also recorded the highest TFR's in Queensland in 2008. Conversely, the Gold Coast SD recorded the lowest TFR in Queensland in 2009, with a TFR of 1.79 babies per woman. The Gold Coast was also the only SD in 2009 in Queensland to record a TFR lower than 2.

More details on births in Australia, the states and territories, and regional data are available in Births, Australia, 2009 (cat. no. 3301.0) available for free download from the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au>



Mortality in Queensland

There were 26,300 deaths registered in Queensland in 2009, approximately 4% less than were registered in 2008 (27,300).

In 2009, Queensland had a standardised death rate (SDR) of 5.8 deaths per 1,000 standard population. The SDR for Australia was 5.7 deaths per 1,000 standard population.

The median age at death has generally been increasing over the past ten years. In Queensland, the median age at death has increased by 2.5 years from 77.4 years in 1999 to 79.9 years in 2009. In 2009, Australia overall recorded a median age at death of 80.8 years.

The infant mortality rate (IMR) in 2009 was the second highest in Australia, with 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. Australia recorded an IMR of 4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Assuming current death rates, a girl born in Queensland today can expect to live to an average of 83.8 years, whereas a boy born at the same time could expect to live an average of 79.7 years. These life expectancies are similar to those for Australia (83.9 years and 79.3 years respectively).

Of the statistical divisions, the Sunshine Coast recorded the highest life expectancy at birth for both males and females (80.4 years and 85.3 years respectively). The Gold Coast recorded the second highest life expectancies of 80.0 years for males and 84.9 year for females.

More details on deaths in Queensland, other states and territories and Australia can be found in Deaths, Australia, 2009 (cat no. 3302.0) available for free download on the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au>.