How Did Australia’s Perinatal Death Figures Change in 2025?

Sonal Goyal

10 November 2026 10:05 PM AEDT

How Did Australia’s Perinatal Death Figures Change in 2025?

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Highlights

The ABS received 2,895 perinatal deaths in 2025, down 57 from 2024.
Stillbirths fell 5.5% to 2,111, while neonatal deaths rose 9.0% to 784.
The perinatal death rate declined to 9.8 deaths per 1,000 births from 10.0.

Australia recorded a decline in the number and rate of perinatal deaths in the Australian Bureau of Statistics publication released on 10 November 2026. The ABS received 2,895 perinatal deaths for the 2025 reference year, compared with 2,952 in 2024. The reduction of 57 deaths represented a decrease of 1.9%.

Stillbirths Decline as Neonatal Deaths Increase

The national total comprised 2,111 stillbirths and 784 neonatal deaths. Stillbirths decreased by 122, or 5.5%, from 2,233 in 2024. Neonatal deaths increased by 65, or 9.0%, from 719.

The two categories therefore moved in different directions. The decrease of 122 stillbirths and increase of 65 neonatal deaths produced the net reduction of 57 perinatal deaths.

The stillbirth count remained higher than the neonatal death count in both years. In 2025, the difference between the categories was 1,327 deaths, compared with 1,514 in 2024.

National Rates Also Move in Different Directions

The perinatal death rate was 9.8 deaths per 1,000 births in 2025, down from 10.0 in 2024. The stillbirth rate declined to 7.2 per 1,000 births from 7.6.

The neonatal death rate increased to 2.7 per 1,000 live births from 2.5. The ABS identified the 2025 neonatal rate as the highest in the published 2021–2025 period.

The rate denominators differ. Perinatal and stillbirth rates use all births, comprising live births and stillbirths. Neonatal rates use live births only.

Definitions and Reporting Basis

The ABS defines stillbirths as fetal deaths at a gestation of at least 20 weeks or a birth weight of at least 400 grams. Neonatal deaths cover live born babies of any birth weight or gestation who die within 28 completed days of birth.

The figures are generally presented by year of registration. Victorian stillbirth figures are presented by year of receipt. From 2024, the ABS revised Victorian stillbirth data back to 2020 using Medical Certificates of Cause of Perinatal Death rather than registrations.

The ABS states that this scope change represents a break in the Time Series affecting Victorian and national data. It also advises caution when interpreting perinatal death rates because birth registrations influence their calculation.

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