2-5

Home > State of Our Health > Chapter 2 - Starting well > 2-5. Birth rate

2-5. Birth rate

2-5-1. Birth rate

2-5-2. Aboriginal births

Sources

 

2-5-1. Birth rate

  • In 2017, there were 19,066 people born in South Australia, into a total population of 1.72 million. This represents a crude rate of 11.1 births per 1000 population.1
  • The crude birth rate in South Australia has been very slightly declining since 2008, down from 12.7 births per 1000 population recorded in that year.1
  • The national crude birth rate remains above the state rate, but it too has been very slightly declining, down from 14.2 births per 1000 population in 2008 to 12.6 in 2017.1
  • Of the states and territories, South Australia having is the second lowest crude birth rate in 2017.1

 

Crude birth rate, 2017
Local Health Network Per 1000 popn.
Northern Adelaide 13.8
Central Adelaide 10.2
Southern Adelaide 10.4
Metropolitan Adelaide 11.5
Barossa Hills Fleurieu 9.6
Eyre and Far North 12.2
Flinders and Upper North 12.8
Riverland Mallee Coorong 9.4
Limestone coast 9.8
Yorke & Northern 9.5
Country Health SA 10.1
South Australia 11.1
Australia 12.6

2 5 1 sa 2019 10 01

Data source: ABS 2018a

_


Crude birth rate, 2017
State/Territory Per 1000 popn.
Tasmania 10.7
South Australia 11.1
New South Wales 12.3
Queensland 12.4
Victoria  13.0
Western Australia  13.4
Australian Capital Territory 15.1
Northern Territory 15.7
Australia 12.6

2 5 1 au 2019 10 01

Data source: ABS 2018a

_

2-5-2. Aboriginal births

  • In 2017, there were 1,028 births registered in South Australia where one or both parents identified themselves as Aboriginal persons. This represents 5.4% of the 19,072 total births in this state during that year.2
  • The trend in recorded Aboriginal births, as a percentage of all births, both in this state and nationally, has been increasing until 2017,with a slight decrease during 2015-2016.2
  • The Australian Bureau of Statistics caution that, due to changes over time in the completeness and coverage of responses by parents to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander question on the birth registration form, care should be taken when interpreting changes in the data.
  • Of the states and territories, South Australia ranks second lowest for percentage of Aboriginal births.2

 

Aboriginal births, 2017
Region % of all births
Metropolitan Adelaide n.a.
Country SA n.a.
South Australia 5.4%
Australia 6.6%

Data source: ABS 2018b

_


Aboriginal births, 2017
State/Territory % of all births
Victoria 2.1%
South Australia 5.4%
New South Wales 6.3%
Western Australia 8.1%
Queensland 10.7%
Tasmania 11.0%
Northern Territory 35.7%
Australian Capital Territory n.a.
Australia 6.6%

Data source: ABS 2018b

_

Sources

  1. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2017a), 'Table 1.1 Births, Summary, statistical Areas Level 4--2011 to 2017', Births, Australia, 2017, cat. no. 3301.0, viewed 20 September 2019.
  2. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2017b), 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births and confinements, summary, by state', ABS.Stat (beta), 20 September 2019.