NEWS Having bub now less of a priority

DARWINITES are having fewer babies now than they were five years ago — with experts suggesting the shift may be a sign of “greater female empowerment”.

New figures show the birthrate at Royal Darwin Hospital has dropped in recent years, with just 531 bubs born at the facility in the first three months of 2019 — the lowest recorded figure since 2014.

By comparison just 2064 babies were born at RDH in 2018, the smallest number of newborns welcomed at the facility since 2012.

In 2016, when Inpex was at its peak, 2208 babies were born at RDH — 144 more tiny Territorians than were born at the facility last year.

Centre for Social Research and Methods demographer Dr Liz Allen said Darwin had “stronger fertility rates” when compared with the other capital cities across Australia, which reflected a younger population and earlier first birth. “Declining fertility is actually a sign of greater female empowerment,” she said.

“While births are declining, as are fertility rates, natural in

“It’s probably just a sign of a decreasing population”

AMA NT PRESIDENT DR ROB PARKER crease is still positive. The issue for Darwin in terms of a shrinking population is interstate migration losses.”

Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Rob Parker wasn’t surprised by the falling figures.

“It’s probably just a sign of a decreasing population — nothing more,” he said. “Less people in Darwin means less people having babies.”

Last week, the NT News revealed the Territory is the baby-making capital of Australia, with Palmerston parents reproducing at a very high rate.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the NT recorded the nation’s highest “total fertility rate” in 2017 — with 1.91 babies born per woman. This is well above the South Australian figure of 1.68 babies per woman.