Abbreviated as CHCAREP; referenced by 1 other explainer
Children ever born shows the number of live-born children females aged 15 and over have had during their lifetime. It is a lifetime count, not a count of children currently living in the home.
These figures are Place Forecast estimates based on Census data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
There are eight categories:
The figures count only live-born children the female respondent has had. Adopted, foster, and step-children are not counted.
The Census records sex as female or male only. The question is asked of people the Census records as female. Some are women, some are non-binary, and some are trans men. Trans women, non-binary people, and intersex people who have had children are not shown as a group here. People are counted within the sex they reported on the form. Saying more about gender diversity would need a different data source.
This page is different from the Fertility rate page. Fertility rate measures births during a single year. Children ever born measures the total number of children a person has had across their lifetime. The two measures answer different questions. For example, think of a woman whose children moved out years ago. She is still counted here. It is based on how many children she has had.
The figures count females aged 15 and over at their usual residence. They include people in non-private dwellings, such as hospitals, aged-care homes, hostels, and student housing. They do not count overseas visitors.
The ABS also publishes a Not stated count. It is there because some people choose not to answer.
Younger and older age groups should be read differently. Younger women may not have started having children yet. Older women have usually had all their children. The area's age make-up can strongly affect the headline mix. To compare areas, look at the share of older cohorts in each category, not the headline mix.
Care can be shared in many ways. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship systems share the care of children across many adults. Many culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) homes also share child-rearing across the wider family. The Census records only live-born children the female respondent had. So this page counts those children, not the wider caring relationships.
The ABS adjusts small counts to protect privacy. This is called perturbation. It has its strongest effect on small cells. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander figures, talk with the relevant community-controlled organisation before drawing strong claims. This follows Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles.
See the marker methodology for how these figures are built and its limits.
Treat small-area figures as patterns, not exact counts. Check them with the relevant community-controlled organisation. This follows Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles.