Births outnumbered deaths in New Zealand last year by almost 31,000 -- the highest natural increase in 13 years, the latest figures from Statistics New Zealand say.
The increase of 30,950 has not been eclipsed since 1993, when there were 31,680 more births than deaths.
It may not
be repeated in the near future as demographers predict that the natural increase will decline over coming years as the bulge of "baby boomers" enter retirement and old age.
Deaths are predicted to outnumber births from 2042.
New Zealand's population grew by 45,100 (1.1 per cent) last year, with natural increase contributing roughly two-thirds of the growth and migration the remaining third.
Auckland continued to balloon as its natural increase of 14,180 made up 46 per cent of the national figure.
Its disproportionate share of the natural increase was due to its young population, resulting in a smaller number of deaths in relation to births for its population.
Women are continuing to have babies later in life, with the average age now 30.3 years, compared with 28.8 years in 1996 and 25.1 in 1976.
The median age for women having their first child was 28. The most fertile age group is now women aged 30-34.
There were 59,190 births registered last year, a slight increase on recent years, but representing a relatively stable fertility rate of 2.05 births per woman. This was slightly below replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman.
There were 28,240 deaths last year. Just over three-quarters were aged 65 and over, while only 5 per cent were aged under 40, and the number of infant (under one year) deaths stood at 300.
The infant mortality rate was 5.1 per 1000, down from 7.1 in 1996 and 13.9 in 1976.
The Maori infant mortality rate has almost halved in the past 10 years, from 11.5 per 1000 in 1996 to 6.7 last year.
The teenage years and early 20s are risky times, with a death rate roughly four times higher than in childhood, pushed up by accidents and suicides.
Overall death rates have dropped significantly in the past 20 years, with child rates more than halving and deaths being concentrated in the older age group.
- NZPA
