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Ministry of Health
Summary 2002 in Context
TABLE 1:
FIGURE 3:
Highlights: 		Live Births, Deaths, Marriages and Stillbirths, British Columbia, 1950-2002
Crude Rates of Live Births, Deaths, Marriages and Stillbirths, British Columbia, 1950-2002
Highlights to Table 1/Figure 3
TABLE 2:
FIGURE 4:
Highlights: 		Trends of Natural Population Increases, British Columbia and Canada, 1950-2002
Trends of Natural Population Increases, British Columbia and Canada, 1950-2002
Highlights to Table 2/Figure 4
TABLE 3:
FIGURE 5.1:
Highlights:
 		Trends of Total Fertility Rates, British Columbia, 1950-2002
Total Fertility Rates & Number of Live Births, 1986-2002

Highlights to Table 3/Figure 5.1
FIGURE 5.2:
Highlights:
FIGURE 5.3:
Highlights:
 		Birth Trends Live Births by Age of Mother, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 5.2
Multiple Births as a Percentage of Live Births, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 5.3
FIGURE 5.4:
Highlights:
FIGURE 5.5:
Highlights:
 		Trends in Low Birth Weight Live Births, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 5.4
Trends in Low Birth Weight Live Births for Mothers Aged 35+, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 5.5
FIGURE 5.6:
Highlights:
FIGURE 5.7:
Highlights:
 		Birth Trends in Cesarean Sections, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 5.6
Cesarean Sections by Health Service Delivery Area, British Columbia, 2002

Highlights to Figure 5.7
FIGURE 5.8:
Highlights:
 		Cesarean Sections by Maternal Age, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 5.8

TABLE 4:
FIGURE 6.1: Highlights:

Trends of Infant Mortality, British Columbia and Canada, 1965-2002

Trends of Infant Mortality, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Table 4/Figure 6.1
FIGURE 6.2:
Highlights:
FIGURE 6.3:
Highlights:
 		Infant Mortality by Age of Mother, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.2
Percentage of Infant Mortality by Age of Mother, British Columbia, 2002

Highlights to Figure 6.3
FIGURE 6.4:
Highlights:
FIGURE 6.5:
Highlights:
 		Deaths and Death Rates, All Causes of Death, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.4
Average Age At Death, British Columbia, 2002

Highlights to Figure 6.5
FIGURE 6.6:
Highlights:
FIGURE 6.7:
Highlights:
 		Deaths and Death Rates, Malignant Neoplasms (Cancer), British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.6
Deaths and Death Rates, Lung Cancer, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.7
FIGURE 6.8:
Highlights:
FIGURE 6.9:
Highlights:
 		Death Rates by Gender,Lung Cancer, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.8
Deaths and Death Rates, Endocrine, Nutritional & Metabolic Diseases, British Columbia, 1986-2002
Highlights to Figure 6.9
FIGURE 6.10:
Highlights:
FIGURE 6.11:
Highlights:
 		Death and Death Rates, Diabetes, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.10
Deaths and Death Rates, Nervous System Diseases, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.11
FIGURE 6.12:
Highlights:
FIGURE 6.13:
Highlights:
 		Death and Death Rates, Cardiovascular Diseases, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.12
Deaths and Death Rates, Cerebrovascular Diseases, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.13
FIGURE 6.14:
Highlights:
 		Death and Death Rates, Motor Vehicle Accidents, British Columbia, 1986-2002

Highlights to Figure 6.14
TABLE 5:
FIGURE 7:
Highlights: 		Trends in Age of Bride and Groom, British Columbia, 1977-2002
Trends in Age of Bride and Groom, British Columbia, 1977-2002
Highlights to Table 5/Figure 7
TABLE 6:
FIGURE 8
Highlights: 		Live Births, Deaths, Marriages and Stillbirths by Month, British Columbia, 2002
Live Births, Deaths, Marriages and Stillbirths by Month, British Columbia, 2002
Highlights to Table 6/Figure 8

2002 in Context

Historical information on the vital statistics of the British Columbia population is presented in this section. This allows readers to examine the changes in annual live birth, stillbirth, death, and marriage rates and to put current year statistics in the larger context. In addition the section highlights certain features of this report that are of special interest.

Since 1950, as the population of British Columbia tripled, demographic and social changes had significant impacts on vital events. Provincial rates for marriages, fertility, live births and stillbirths fell to about half the rates seen in 1950, while mortality rates declined by nearly a third. The most striking change was a dramatic decline in infant mortality.

  • In 2002, there were 39,893 live births in the province to B.C. residents. The number of live births decreased by 499 births from 40,392 in 2001. The birth rate, 9.6 live births per 1,000 population, was the lowest birth rate to date.

  • There were 28,686 deaths of British Columbia residents in the province in 2002, up 1.6% from the previous year (28,226). The 2002 crude death rate was 6.9 deaths per 1,000 population, the same as in 2001.

  • A total of 21,245 marriages were solemnized in the province in 2002, an increase from 20,567 marriages in 2001. The marriage rate also increased in 2002 to 5.1 per 1,000 population, up from 5.0 in 2001. Marriage rates showed a downward trend from 1988 to 2001.

  • There were 296 stillbirths to B.C. residents in 2002, an increase from 282 in 2001. The stillbirth rate was 7.4 per 1,000 total births (live births and stillbirths) in 2002.
  • In 2002, the 39,893 births and 28,686 deaths in the province produced a rate of natural population growth of 2.7 per 1,000 population. The 2002 rate of natural population growth for B.C. was the lowest since at least 1950, and the first year with a rate below 3.0 per 1,000 population.

  • The Total Fertility Rate for B.C. was 1,351 births per 1,000 women of child bearing age (15 to 44 years of age), the lowest since 1959.

  • In 2002, there were 177 infant deaths (age at death less than one year) in the province, for an infant mortality rate of 4.4 per 1,000 live births. This is an increase from 162 infant deaths and an infant mortality rate of 4.0 per 1,000 live births in 2001. The smallest numbers and lowest rates of infant mortality occurred in 1998 to 2001.

  • The average ages of brides and grooms have climbed steadily since 1977. In 2002, the average age of all brides was 32.5 years old, while grooms were 35.3 years old.