A new record for births

Australia has again set a new record for the number of births in a year, with a total of 296,600 births registered in 2008, surpassing the previous record years of 2007 (285,200 births) and 1971 (276,400).

Overall, Australia had a total fertility rate of 1.97 babies per woman, up from 1.92 in 2007 and the highest since 1977 (2.01).

More details are available in Births, Australia, 2008 (cat. no. 3301.0), which includes: detailed statistics on live births: male and female births; births of Indigenous children; age and birthplace of parents; duration of marriage; previous children; nuptial and exnuptial births; single and multiple births; usual residence of mother (by state or territory); and regional comparisons.

Other related information can be found in:

• Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no 3101.0)
• Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories (cat. no 3201.0)
• Population Projections, Australia (cat. no 3222.0)
• Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (cat. no 3238.0)
• Family Characteristics and Transitions, Australia (cat.no. 4442.0)
• Child Care, Australia (cat. no. 4402.0)
• Pregnancy and Employment Transitions, Australia (cat. no. 4913.0)

Good Sports!

Participation in organised sporting activities is important for children’s social development as well as their motor coordination skills, teamwork and physical fitness.

In recent years, increasing awareness of the incidence of childhood obesity has particularly highlighted the desirability, on health grounds, for children to participate in regular physical activity.

The Research Paper: Children's Participation in Organised Sporting Activity, October 2009 (cat. no 1351.0.55.028) combines data from three surveys on Children’s Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, April 2009 (cat. no 4901.0) – conducted in 2000, 2003 and 2006 – to examine children’s participation in organised sporting activities.

The paper examines average rates of participation for children between the ages of six and fourteen years, and identifies a number of sociodemographic factors which influence the propensity for particular groups of children to participate.

Until Death do us Part?

Marriages are on the rise! But not all Australian couples live happily ever after…


Marriages and Divorces, Australia 2008 (cat. no. 3310.0) is an electronic product from the ABS which comprises of national and state data reporting on the number of marriages and divorces that were granted in Australia during 2008.

Not only does this data highlight the number of Aussies tying the knot, it can also tell you how old couples were when they took the plunge; how many times they had walked down the aisle prior to their marriage in 2008; and even the type of celebrant they chose to perform their wedding ceremony!

And as we all know, not all relationships are built to last, so a range of data is also available on those marriages that didn’t work out…

If you would like to know how many couples were divorced in 2008; or how long people were married for prior to formal separation, then you may have found what you are looking for…

This is a valuable resource for any one interested in Australian marriage trends, or for those wishing to conduct an analysis on the family formation and structure in Australia.

Census Data - Enhanced!

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has recently embarked on the Census Data Enhancement Project which aims to increase the value of data collected from the Census of Population and Housing by developing a Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset (SLCD).

The SLCD will draw on records taken from a random sample of persons (5%) during the 2006 Census and will combine this information with 2011, and subsequent Census records. As time goes by and more and more Census data becomes available, the SLCD will become a valuable resource for anyone interested in longitudinal population studies.

The SLCD will provide the means to analyse patterns in the pathways people and families take over time. Insights might also be gained into the relationship between peoples' social and economic situation over their life, and their health outcomes, or the educational and economic outcomes of their children as they in turn grow to be adults.

But how might the SLCD work? What linking methodologies and processes might be used to combine Census data? How reliable will this data be?

In order to answer these questions and more, the ABS conducted a quality study that simulated the formation of the SLCD. Results of this simulation are outlined in two research papers which you can access here by clicking on the links below.

• A Linkage Method for the Formation of the Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset, August 2009 (cat. no. 1351.0.55.025) outlines the methods and processes that were used in simulating the formation of the Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset and discusses the issues that arose during this process.
  
• Assessing the Likely Quality of the Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset, August 2009 (cat. no. 1351.0.55.026) predicts the quality that can be expected when the first two waves of the SLCD are eventually linked.

Who is caring for our kids?

If you have ever wondered how many of Australia’s children receive formal or informal child care, or you are curious about what this care might cost, then look no further! The answers you seek are just one click away...

‘Childhood Education and Care, Australia’ 2008 (cat. no 4402.0) provides information on the various forms of child care available within Australia. The publication includes estimates on the types of child care being accessed by Australian children between the ages of 0-12 including: the hours they attend; the costs involved; the use of child care benefits; and parental employment and income characteristics.

Also included in this publication for the first time ever are estimates on early childhood education and learning, such as: patterns of attendance at pre-school and school; the types of learning activities that children aged 0-8 participate in; and the environments in which these activities take place.

This is a valuable resource for anyone interested in finding out more about the demand and supply of child care services within Australia. It may also help shed light on some of the issues facing modern day Australian parents.

Included below are some related ABS publications which may also be of interest to you...
· Household and Family Projections, Australia, 1996-2021 (cat. no. 3236.0)
· Children Australia: A Social Report, 2002 (cat. no. 4119.0)
· Family Characteristics and Transitions, Australia. June 2006-07. (cat. no. 4442.0)

Up in smoke

Most people are aware of the detrimental effects that smoking can have on the health and well-being of an individual, but did you know that tobacco smoking is a particularly important issue for Australia’s Indigenous community?

To find out more check out Tobacco Smoking in the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Population 2004-05 (cat. no 4724.0.55.002). This flyer is an excellent resource for those wanting to know more about the prevalence of tobacco smoking amongst Indigenous Australian adults aged 18 years and over, and is an excellent way of finding out how this group are fairing in relation to the non-Indigenous population.

The flyer also includes some useful information on other risk factors associated with tobacco smoking including risky drinking and poor diet.

This is a quick and easy read packed full of information.

Australian Colonial Census Statistics Online

The Historical Census and Colonial Data Archive (HCCDA) website is now available.

HCCDA is a searchable archive of Australian Colonial census publications and reports.

The archive has sourced microfiche versions of the census publications from the ABS and converted them to both digital images and searchable XML markup.

The HCCDA archive documents were originally published in the former colonies of NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia and relate to censuses of those colonies ranging from 1833 to 1901.

HCCDA is a sub-archive of the Australian Social Science Data Archive (ASSDA).
The ABS Historical Publications page lists recently digitised ABS publications.