35,000 more births than deaths

Births outnumbered deaths by 34,940 in the year ended September 2010, Statistics New Zealand said today. The excess of births over deaths (natural increase) has been relatively stable over the last four years, averaging about 34,800 per year. Natural increase had previously risen from a low of 25,900 in the September 2002 year to 34,220 in 2007.

All regions had more births than deaths in the September 2010 year. The Auckland region had the highest natural increase (15,720), contributing 45 percent of New Zealand's natural increase. The next highest natural increase was in Wellington (3,820), followed by Waikato (3,540), and Canterbury (3,140). 

Auckland's large share of the national natural increase is due to the size of its population and the small number of deaths relative to the number of births.

"Although Auckland is home to about one-third of the population, it only accounted for about one-quarter of the deaths in the September 2010 year," Population Statistics manager Bridget Hamilton-Seymour said. "This is due to its relatively young age structure. Only 10 percent of Auckland's population is aged 65 years and over, compared with 13 percent nationally." 

Other statistics from birth and death registrations released today indicate that in the September 2010 year:

• there were 63,730 live births, up slightly from 63,160 in the September 2009 year
• the birth rate was 2.1 births per woman, the same as in 2009, and about half of the peak of 4.3 births per woman in 1961
• there were 28,790 deaths registered, up slightly from 28,680 in 2009.

Highlights

In the September 2010 year:

• 63,730 live births were registered in New Zealand, up 570 from 63,160 in 2009
• Women aged 30–34 years had the highest age-specific fertility rate (126 births per 1,000 women). 
• The median age of women giving birth was 30 years. 
• The total fertility rate was 2.1 births per woman. 
• 28,790 deaths were registered. 
• The age-standardised death rate was 3.8 deaths per 1,000 mean estimated population, down from 4.8 in 2000. 
• The infant mortality rate was 5.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. 
• Births exceeded deaths by 34,940.