We have seen teen birth numbers fall for the last three years – despite rising previously. And the birth rate for teens is at its lowest since 1962.
This says to me that in 1962 the teenage birth rate was pretty much the same as it is today. That's incorrect. In 1962 it was 54 (per 1,000 15-19 year-olds). Today it is 25.
What the PR should have said was that the rate is the lowest in the period for which data is available ie since 1962.
Otherwise it's timely for Bennett to point out all of the practical stuff she has implemented. And when she says she "is passionate" about helping teenage parents, I believe her.
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Looking at the data on Statistics New Zealand’s Infoshare, the most significant changes in the teen fertility rate are:
- The dramatic fall from the 1972 peak rate of 69 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19 years to 30 per 1,000 in 1984-85
- A fluctuating rate from the mid-1980s to the late 2000s (between 33 and 25 per 1,000)
- A steady decline in the rate since 2008 (from 33 per 1,000 to 23 per 1,000, September year data)
What is the most likely cause of the past and most recent fall in the teen birth rate? Improved access to effective, affordable birth control.
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