5-4

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5-4. Infant mortality

5-4-1. Infant mortality

5-4-2. Aboriginal infant mortality

Sources

 

5-4-1. Infant mortality

  • Infant mortality is defined as deaths of persons aged under one year of age, expressed here as a rate per 1,000 live births.
  • Over the last decade, Australia's infant mortality rate has been trending statistically significantly downwards. No statistically significant underlying trend over the last decade was identified in the South Australian time series.1
  • The state rate is slightly higer than the national average of 3.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.1
  • South Australia ranks third lowest for infant mortality rate of the states and territories.1

 

Infant mortality rate, 2018
Region per 1000
live births
Metropolitan Adelaide n.a.
Country SA n.a.
South Australia 3.2
Australia 3.1

5 4 1 sa 2019 10 02

Data source: ABS 2019a

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Infant mortality rate, 2018
State/Territory per 1000
live births
Western Australia  2.6
New South Wales 2.7
South Australia  3.2
Victoria 3.3
Tasmania 3.4
Queensland  3.5
Australian Capital Territory 3.7
Northern Territory 8.6
Australia 3.1

5 4 1 au 2019 10 02

Data source: ABS 2019a

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5-4-2. Aboriginal infant mortality

  • Aboriginal infant mortality is defined as deaths of Aboriginal persons aged under one year of age, expressed here as a rate per 1,000 live Aboriginal births, and then averaged over a three year period due to the small numbers involved.
  • Over the last decade, South Australia's Aboriginal infant mortality rate has been, overall, trending down, from 6.2 Aboriginal infant deaths per 1,000 live Aboriginal births during 2008 to 3.8 in 2018.2
  • The South Australian figure is below the average of the total of the states and territories that reported data (5.8 Aboriginal infant deaths per 1,000 live Aboriginal births).2
  • Of the five states and territories that published data, South Australia ranks lowest for Aboriginal infant mortality rate.2

 

Aboriginal infant mortality, 2018
Region per 1000
live births
Metropolitan Adelaide n.a.
Country SA n.a.
South Australia 3.8
Total 5.8*

5 4 2 sa 2019 10 02

Data source: ABS 2019b

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Aboriginal infant mortality, 2018
State/Territory per 1000
live births
South Australia 3.8
New South Wales 4.2
Queensland 5.6
Western Australia 6.9
Northern Territory 13.0
Aust. Capital Territory n.a.
Tasmania n.a.
Victoria n.a.
Total 5.8*

5 4 2 au 2019 10 02

* Total includes data reported by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only

Data source: ABS 2019b

Sources

  1. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019a), 'Infant deaths and Infant mortality rates, Year of registration, Age at death, Sex, States, Territories and Australia', ABS.Stat (beta), viewed 26 September 2019.
  2. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019b), 'Deaths, Year of registration, Indigenous status, Summary data, Sex, States, Territories and Australia', ABS.Stat (beta) viewed 26 Septmeber 2019.