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Fertility

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Figure 4.1 below presents the number of women in the main child-bearing age group, 15 to 44 years, while Figure 4.2 presents the average number of children born to women in the same group, for 2011 and 2016.

The average number of children born to all women aged 15 years or over has decreased marginally over the five years, from 1.83 children per woman in 2011 to 1.82 in 2016. The rate has decreased slightly for nearly all the ages.

By contrast the total number of women aged 15 to 44 has decreased by 3.2 per cent from 971,087 to 939,866 over the same period. In the peak childbearing years of 30 to 34 the decrease was sharper, declining by 6.4 per cent from 192,626 to 180,221.

20162011
152565923713
162605024187
172690224485
182671425322
192579526196
202467926785
212421026409
222466126954
232451328334
242545629994
252620231879
262655133402
272703135888
282924438424
293109439357
303290640209
313398839881
323599738904
333827637332
343905436300
353974335908
363967235902
373849035390
383669535403
393579234488
403523533869
413526733088
423490231153
433486931164
443421930767
20162011
1500
1600
170.010.01
180.020.03
190.030.06
200.060.1
210.10.15
220.150.2
230.20.27
240.270.33
250.330.39
260.420.46
270.50.53
280.590.61
290.710.7
300.810.81
310.930.95
321.061.08
331.191.21
341.321.35
351.451.5
361.61.62
371.71.73
381.81.83
391.881.91
401.951.98
411.992.04
422.012.07
432.042.11
442.042.13

Interactive Table: StatBank Link E4095

Completed fertility

Examining the changes in numbers of children born to women aged 45 to 64 (who are likely to have completed their child bearing years) illustrates the changes in fertility patterns between 2011 and 2016 (see Figure 4.3).

On average women aged 45 to 64 in 2011 had given birth to 2.55 children. By 2016 the figure had fallen to 2.33.

20162011
017.4516.39
110.588.99
227.9625.28
323.6823.7
412.2314.2
54.686.21
61.892.8
70.791.22
80.360.58
9+0.380.62

It's a Fact

  • 2.55 – The average number of children born to women who had completed their child bearing, 2011
  • 2.33 – The average number of children born to women who had completed their child bearing, 2016

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