Births and deaths both increased in Rotorua in 2017

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More babies were born in the Rotorua region in 2017 compare with the year before, but the death rate was also higher.

Last year there were 1059 babies born across the district, compared to 1035 in 2016.

In Rotorua Maori children made up 60 per cent of all live births.

In 2017, 585 people died in the district compared with 546 in 2016.

All regions in New Zealand had more births than deaths in 2017, and have had in every year since the regional council series began in 1991.

Interestingly, however, New Zealand's total fertility rate dipped to a record low last year.

New data from Statistics New Zealand shows our national fertility rate was down to 1.81 births per woman - the lowest level since records started in the 1920s.

There were 59,610 live births registered in 2017.

Based on birth rates in 2017, Kiwi women would average 1.81 births over their lifetime.

The total fertility rate had only dropped below 1.9 births three times before. This happened most recently in 2016, when it dipped to 1.87.