Parenthood
Regional differences
Patterns of childbearing also vary significantly across different regions in New Zealand.
Over the period 2004 to 2006, the birth rate among young women under the age of 20 living in the Gisborne Region was more than twice the national average.
Among young women aged 20 to 24 years, the birth rate in the highest fertility area (Northland Region) was almost six times the rate of the birth rate in the lowest fertility region (Otago Region).
| Birth rate per 1,000 estimated resident females | ||
|---|---|---|
| Region | Ages under 20 | Ages 20 to 24 |
| Northland Region | 49.7 | 168.5 |
| Auckland Region | 24.9 | 62.4 |
| Waikato Region | 33.7 | 86.8 |
| Bay of Plenty Region | 44.3 | 133.9 |
| Gisborne Region | 55.8 | 158.4 |
| Hawke's Bay Region | 39.7 | 142.5 |
| Taranaki Region | 33.0 | 126.1 |
| Manawatu-Wanganui Region | 33.0 | 79.9 |
| Wellington Region | 21.8 | 50.0 |
| Tasman Region | 18.3 | 86.2 |
| Nelson Region | 23.6 | 79.5 |
| Marlborough Region | 29.1 | 107.0 |
| West Coast Region | 34.0 | 136.8 |
| Canterbury Region | 20.5 | 47.5 |
| Otago Region | 10.4 | 28.7 |
| Southland Region | 31.2 | 123.7 |
| New Zealand | 27.7 | 69.7 |
Source: Statistics New Zealand, birth tables.
*Per estimated 1,000 resident female population in each age group as at 30 June 2005. The estimated resident female population aged 15 to 19 years is used to calculate the birth rate for those under the age of 20.
