4A.2 Social networks
Fertility
Fertility rates vary significantly according to country-of-birth (Tables 4A2.1 and
4A.2.2). The most prolific child-bearers in 2004, in terms of total fertility rate, were those who were born in Syria (3.72), Lebanon (3.66) and Pakistan (3B5); least fertile women were born in Hong Kong (0.69), Serbia and Montenegro (1.08) and Singapore (1.08).
Table 4A.2. 1: Fertility rates of Australian women by global region of birth, 2004
Global region of birth of mother
Average births
‘000
Estimated resident female population (ERFP) ‘000
Average births
% of ERFP
Total fertility rate ‘000
Oc eania & Antarct ic 202.9 3,958.4 80.5 1.757
North-West Europe 11.8 287.2 4.7 1.623
Southern and Eastern Europe 4.4 130.4 1.7 1.558
North Africa and the Middle East 5.9 73.9 2.3 2.900
South-East Asia 11.7 229.5 4.6 1.693
North-East Asia 5.2 130.4 2.1 1.314
Southern and Central Asia 4.0 66.3 1.6 1.957
Americas 3.1 57.1 1.2 1.800
Sub-Saharan Africa 3.0 55.5 1.2 1.837
Country not stated 0.3 0.1
Australia
|
192.7
|
3,779.7
|
76.4
|
1.750
|
Total overseas born
|
59.1
|
1,209.1
|
23.4
|
1.767
|
Total
|
252.1
|
4,988.8
|
100.0
|
1.762
|
Source: after ABS 2005b:36-7
|
|
|
|
|
International comparisons add a further dimension to discussions on fertility rates. Many women born overseas adopt similar fertility levels to the Australia- born although, of course, there are exceptions. One exception is women born in Lebanon who, in 2004, had much higher levels of fertility in Australia (TFR of 3.7) than women in Lebanon (2.2 TFR in 2000; ABS 2002b). Other women born in countries such as Viet Nam continue to have similar levels of fertility in Australia (2.1 TFR) to women in their native country (2.2 TFR in 2000)10.
10 Recent international Total Fertility R ates can be sourc ed by r egister ed us ers from United Nations
Statistical Division web site
Table 4A.2. 2: Fertility rates for Australian women for selected countries of birth (2004)
Oceania & Antarct
|
Average
Births
|
15
-19
|
20
-24
|
25
-29
|
30
-34
|
35
-39
|
40
-44
|
45 &
over
|
TFR
|
age of
mother
|
ica
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australia
|
192.7
|
17.0
|
54.9
|
103.9
|
111.6
|
52.9
|
9.2
|
0.4
|
1.75
|
30.3
|
New Zealand
|
6.9
|
27.4
|
72.3
|
94.1
|
95.6
|
54.2
|
11.0
|
0.8
|
1.78
|
30.5
|
North-West Europe
|
Germany
|
0.7
|
7.9
|
42.1
|
85.1
|
127.1
|
69.0
|
12.6
|
0.4
|
1.72
|
33.9
|
Ireland
|
0.6
|
4.2
|
23.3
|
42.2
|
103.4
|
73.9
|
14.8
|
1.0
|
1.31
|
34.0
|
United Kingdom
|
9.1
|
11.1
|
44.9
|
91.1
|
114.6
|
57.5
|
10.4
|
0.5
|
1.65
|
33.6
|
Southern & Eastern
Europe
Croatia 0.4 6.9 59.1 147.0 102.5 48.3 10.6 0.4 1.87 33.5
FYR of Macedonia 0.5 20.6 98.1 143.9 93.2 26.9 6.1 0.5 1.95 28.9
Greece 0.3 1.0 29.6 97.4 93.6 40.3 8.2 0.1 1.35 34.1
Italy 0.4 3.6 28.5 98.0 121.7 47.2 8.2 0.6 1.54 34.8
Poland 0.4 4.7 31.4 81.7 102.9 42.6 7.4 0.2 1.36 30.6
Serbia & Monten egro
0.4 4.2 36.1 74.4 65.6 29.1 5.6 0.4 1.08 32.1
North Africa & the Middle East
Lebanon 2.3 88.7 217.3 211.1 136.0 63.6 14.1 0.7 3.66 28.9
Syria .03 50.8 254.9 192.4 144.3 79.8 22.0 - 3.72 29.2
Turkey 0.7 37.7 141.5 136.3 93.3 40.9 7.1 0.5 2.29 30.1
South-East Asia
Cambodia 0.7 21.9 94.4 144.4 119.8 58.5 15.5 0.9 2.28 30.0
Indonesia 1.0 5.0 17.6 84.6 112.5 57.2 13.1 0.5 1.45 30.2
Malaysia 1.1 2.7 9.8 51.4 118.3 65.1 10.3 0.7 1.29 32.6
Philippines 2.5 16.2 63.5 111.8 107.1 56.1 13.2 0.6 1.84 31.5
Singapore 0.4 2.6 7.8 41.5 92.7 58.2 11.3 1.3 1.08 32.7
Thailand 0.7 25.4 52.4 63.9 77.1 52.5 15.7 0.8 1.44 30.4
Viet Nam 4.6 18.2 73.6 123.1 121.7 65.6 14.2 0.9 2.09 30.9
China
|
3.0
|
3.0
|
28.4
|
101.0
|
114.1
|
68.4
|
19.4
|
0.9
|
1.68
|
32.9
|
Hong Kong
|
0.4
|
2.0
|
2.5
|
18.8
|
64.1
|
43.3
|
7.1
|
0.4
|
0.69
|
33.1
|
Japan
|
0.8
|
1.4
|
15.2
|
63.6
|
107.1
|
79.5
|
20.4
|
1.9
|
1.45
|
33.1
|
Korea, Republic of
|
0.7
|
2.0
|
11.5
|
79.9
|
109.6
|
51.5
|
8.2
|
-
|
1.31
|
31.6
|
Southern & Central Asia
|
India
|
1.8
|
3.9
|
52.0
|
122.8
|
108.5
|
45.3
|
7.8
|
0.7
|
1.71
|
30.2
|
Pakistan
|
.05
|
12.8
|
139.3
|
225.9
|
170.9
|
80.7
|
20.1
|
-
|
3.25
|
29.0
|
Sri Lanka
|
0.9
|
3.8
|
27.4
|
106.0
|
137.6
|
62.6
|
11.8
|
0.3
|
1.75
|
32.3
|
Americas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada
|
0.6
|
4.9
|
30.7
|
85.5
|
132.9
|
86.5
|
19.0
|
0.8
|
1.80
|
32.7
|
United States
|
1.0
|
7.1
|
39.7
|
96.8
|
129.7
|
86.3
|
21.0
|
1.0
|
1.91
|
33.1
|
Sub-Saharan Africa
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
South Africa
|
1.4
|
4.6
|
27.1
|
88.1
|
131.0
|
53.7
|
8.6
|
0.3
|
1.57
|
32.0
|
Total Overseas born
|
59.1
|
13.5
|
53.0
|
101.7
|
113.5
|
59.1
|
12.0
|
0.6
|
1.77
|
31.7
|
Total
|
252.1
|
16.6
|
54.6
|
103.6
|
112.2
|
54.8
|
10.1
|
0.5
|
1.76
|
30.6
|
North-East Asia
Source: after ABS 2005b:36-55
Transport and wellbeing
Persons born overseas not proficient in spoken English were significantly less likely than others to have access to motor vehicles (only 54% had access by comparison with 85% of the total population) (Table 4A.2.3). Furthermore, 12 per cent of persons who were not proficient in spoken English could not get, or at least often had difficulty in getting, to places where they needed to go; this level of difficulty applied to less than 4 per cent for the total Australian population. Of course, not having access to motor vehicles in the first instance not only adversely affects those individuals but also eliminates the opportunity of offering this important form of assistance to others.
Table 4A.2. 3: Access to transport (per cent persons)
Born in other countries
|
Born in
Australia
|
Born in
MESC
|
Proficient in spoken English
|
Not proficient in spoken English
|
All persons
|
Has access to motor vehicle/s to drive
|
86.9
|
85.5
|
81.7
|
54.0
|
85.0
|
Difficulty with transport: Can easily get to the places needed
|
85.3
|
85.7
|
82.3
|
66.0
|
84.3
|
Cannot, or often has difficulty, getting to the places needed
|
3.5
|
3.8
|
3.6
|
12.0
|
3.8
|
Source: ABS 2003c
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