EXPLAINED: Why city has most births and deaths in Qld
UPDATE: A university lecturer in population geography has explained why Toowoomba has the largest number of births and deaths in Queensland.
Numbers revealed in the Queensland Government's open data portal showed 1035 people died in Toowoomba in 2016.
Despite having the state's most deaths, the city's residents are the most fertile.
Data showing births by mother's postcode show Toowoomba also had the most births in 2016, with 1467 babies delivered.
Dr Elin Charles-Edwards from the University of Queensland said the number could be explained by the size of the postcode.
She said Toowoomba had one of the largest populations for its postcode.
"The postcode doesn't concord with the urban extent in most places, which affects the number of births and deaths (recorded)," she said.
It's common for demographers to calculate births and deaths by, for example, dividing the births by the population size and recording the number per thousand, providing a crude birth rate.
Using figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics census in 2011, Dr Charles-Edwards calculated the crude birth rate for Toowoomba was 14/1000, higher than the Australian rate of 13/1000.
The crude death rate for Toowoomba was about 10/1000, higher than the average of 6/1000.
Dr Charles-Edwards said demographers then took into account age structure - as places where people are older there are usually more deaths.
Similarly if there are more women of a childbearing age in a location those places record more births.
The composition of a population and its geographic location also plays a role.
For instance in places which are more family friendly, more people tend to have children.
Places where there are high rates of people in retirement, which includes Toowoomba, also have higher death rates.
Deaths in 2016
- Toowoomba 1035
- Chermside 975
- Southport 962
- Herston 732
- Woolloongabba 696
- Redcliffe 694
- Douglas 675
- Nambour 634
- Bundaberg 620
- Cairns 573
- Ipswich 562
- Caboolture 559
- Robina 543
- Rockhampton 533
Births by postcode
- Toowoomba 1467
- Mackay 1173
- Springfield 1091
- Pimpama 976
- Ipswich 940
- Gladstone 888
- Cairns 880
- Beenleigh 831
- Gold Coast 821
- Bundaberg 812
- Kallangur 772
- Everton Park 728
- Caboolture 707
- Strathpine 653
- Rockhampton 639
EARLIER: More people die in Toowoomba than any other postcode in Queensland.
Figures revealed in the Queensland Government's open data portal showed 1035 people died in Toowoomba in 2016.
Despite having the state's most deaths, the city's residents are the most fertile.
Data showing births by mother's postcode show Toowoomba also had the most births in 2016, with 1467 babies delivered.
Demographer Mark McCrindle told the Sydney Morning Herald that the high number of elderly people was partly responsible for the death figures.
He said Toowoomba had a high proportion of residents aged under 20 and a high proportion aged over 75, compared with the Queensland and national average.
"Yes, it's got an ageing population... but also a significantly higher number of young people," he said.
