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This page replaces the previous hard copy publication Demography, Western Australia (cat. no. 3311.5)
COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE
POPULATION, Western Australia
BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS
In 2002, there were 23,200 confinements resulting in 23,600 births registered to mothers usually residing in Western Australia. Registrations of births were 3% lower than in 2001 (24, 000 births) and 6% lower than in 1992 (25,100 births). There were 12,100 male births and 11,500 female births registered in 2002, giving a sex ratio of 105.2 males per 100 females. The crude birth rate for Western Australia was 12.3 births per 1,000 estimated resident population, which was lower than the national rate of 12.8. Western Australia had the second lowest crude birth rate, with South Australia having the lowest at 11.6.
The total fertility rate (TFR), that is the average number of babies that a woman could expect to give birth to in her lifetime if she experienced current age-specific fertility rates, was 1.688 babies per woman in 2002. Since 1975, TFR's have been below the rate of 2.1 babies per woman, which is the rate required for replacement of the population.
The upward trend in median age of parents continued in 2002, to a high of 29.9 years for mothers and 32.2 years for fathers, reflecting the tendency for couples having children later in life. The 30-34 year age group had the highest fertility rate at 105.6 babies per 1,000 women in 2002.
AGE-SPECIFIC FERTILITY RATES(a)
(a) Number of live births per 1000 women in each age group
BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS(a), Western Australia
In 2002, there were 11,300 registered deaths for persons usually resident in Western Australia, an increase of 14% from 1992 when there were 9,900 deaths. There were 5,800 male deaths and 5,500 female deaths. Despite the ageing of the population, there has been little movement in the crude death rates over the last 10 years. The crude death rate (CDR) was 5.9 deaths per 1,000 estimated resident population in 2002, compared with 6.0 in 1992. Western Australia's CDR was lower than the national rate of 6.8. The CDR for males (6.1) has been slightly higher than that for females (5.7) in the last decade, even though the male population has a younger age structure than the female population.
Standardised death rates (SDRs) enable comparison of death rates between populations with different age structures. Western Australia's SDR of 6.4 was lower that the national rate of 6.7, with only the Australian Capital Territory recording a lower SDR (5.9). In 2002, the male SDR was 7.8 and the female SDR was significantly lower at 5.3.
(a) Deaths per 1,000 population
DEATHS(a), Western Australia
In 2002, net overseas migration contributed an additional 15,600 persons to the Western Australian population, 750 less than in 2001. Net interstate migration has been falling since 1996 and since 1999 the number of persons leaving Western Australia has exceeded the numbers coming into Western Australia. In 2002, the net loss through interstate migration was 4,200 persons.
Overseas migration includes permanent and long-term (over 12 months) movement between Australia and other countries. Net overseas migration refers to the net permanent and long-term overseas migration, adjusted for changes in traveller duration intention and errors associated with multiple movements during long-term stays or absences.
Western Australia's net interstate migration has fluctuated over the past 20 years, peaking at 9,400 in 1986 and declining to a net loss of 4,200 in 2002. Despite the long-term trend of moderate net interstate gains, Western Australia has, over the past 4 years, experienced a net loss in interstate migration, with the largest net loss of 4,400 persons being experienced in 2001. Net interstate migration losses were also recorded during 1991, 1992 and 1993, although not to the same magnitude as in the past four years.
MIGRATION, Western Australia
In 2002, there were 10, 500 marriages registered in Western Australia which was 7.1% higher than the number registered in 2001. However, this number was still lower than the 11,000 marriages registered in 2000, which was the highest figure ever recorded. The crude marriage rate (the number of marriages per 1,000 of the estimated resident population) for Western Australia was 5.4 in 2002, which was the same as the national rate.
Among people marrying for the first time in 2002, the median age for bridegrooms was 29.5 years and 27.3 years for brides. In 1992, the median ages were 27.0 years and 24.7 years respectively and reflects a continuing tendency to marry later in life. In 2002, the median age for all brides was 29.3 years and all bridegrooms was 31.6 years.
MARRIAGES, Western Australia
Details on divorces are not yet available for 2002. In 2001, there were 5,351 divorces granted in Western Australia and the crude divorce rate was 2.8 divorces per 1,000 population. This rate is slightly lower than the national crude divorce rate of 2.9. Over the last 10 years, the crude divorce rate has remained fairly stable with a low of 2.7 in 1992 and a high of 2.9 in 1999.
Duration of marriage is the interval between the date of marriage and the date the divorce was made absolute. In 2001, the median duration of marriage in Western Australia was 12.6 years. This is the highest median duration of marriage since the passage of the Family Law Act 1975.
DIVORCES, Western Australia
The Perth Statistical Division, which contained 73% of the Western Australian population, had 71% of the State's births and 73% of the State's deaths in 2002. The Perth Statistical Division's average total fertility rate over the three years 2000-2002 (1.65 births per woman) was less than the three-year average for the remainder of the State (2.05 births per woman).
In Western Australia, the largest populations tended to be in those SLAs on the fringe of the Perth Statistical Division. The most populous Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Western Australia was Joondalup (C) - South with an estimated resident population of 107,500 persons. Other SLAs within the Perth Statistical Division with high populations were Stirling (C) - Coastal (62,500), Cockburn (C) (71,200), Rockingham (C) (76,200), Canning (C) (78,100), Gosnells (C) (85,100), Swan (C) (87,300), Melville (C) (97,200), Stirling (C) - Central (99,100). The largest SLA outside the Perth Statistical Division was Mandurah (C), which was the twelfth largest SLA in Western Australia, with a population of 50,800 persons.
3101.0 Australian Demographic Statistics
3201.0 Population by Age and Sex, State and Territories
3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand
3222.0 Population Projections, Australia
3230.0 Experimental Estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Population
3231.0 Experimental Projections of the Indigenous Population
3236.0 Household and Family Projections, Australia
3301.0 Births, Australia
3302.0 Deaths, Australia
3303.0 Causes of Death, Australia
3412.0 Migration, Australia
3105.0.65.001 Australian Historical Population Statistics
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