Stillbirths and neonatal deaths dashboard
Content warning: This content contains information some readers may find distressing as it relates to stillbirth and the loss of a newborn.
The Stillbirths and neonatal deaths dashboard presents key statistics on perinatal deaths in Australia.
This first version of the dashboard includes rates of perinatal death over time, as well as breakdowns by state and territory, gestational age, and maternal characteristics such as First Nations mothers, remoteness areas and socioeconomic areas. The dashboard also includes information on the timing and causes of death, as well as the proportion of perinatal deaths that have had an autopsy.
Future versions of the dashboard will expand the range of characteristics, medical conditions and population groups covered.
Two sets of tables containing the latest data, and trends, on stillbirths and neonatal deaths are available on the Data page:
- Supplementary data tables for the dashboard, including the data in a machine-readable format for the first time (released February 2026),
- Detailed data for an expanded range of characteristics, medical conditions and population groups, including data for two focus groups: First Nations women and their babies, and near-term normally-formed singleton babies (released June 2026).
The data are sourced from the AIHW’s National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection (NPMDC) and the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC).
The perinatal death rate in 2023 was 11.1 deaths per 1,000 births. This rate is comprised of a neonatal death rate of 2.4 per 1,000 live births and a stillbirth rate of 8.7 per 1,000 births.
Neonatal deaths
In 2023, there were 2.4 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births. Rates of neonatal death have remained stable in recent years, with the rate in 2023 remaining unchanged since 2021. The neonatal death rate has ranged between 2.2 and 3.2 deaths per 1,000 live births over the period from 2004 to 2023.
Stillbirths
The stillbirth rate in 2023, at 8.7 per 1,000 births, is the highest reported in over 20 years; a continuation of increasing stillbirth rates observed in recent years. Care should be taken when interpreting this trend. Factors that contributed to the increase include but may not be limited to:
- Fluctuations in the underlying birth rate which may be associated with a change in the demographic profile of women giving birth (e.g. changes in maternal characteristics such as age, region of birth, socioeconomic status, risk factors and chronic health conditions).
- Improved notifications of stillbirths in some jurisdictions compared with previous years, in part due to legislative changes.
- An increase in the number of stillbirths.
Increasing numbers of terminations of pregnancy after 20 weeks’ gestation. It is important to note that some pregnancies that ended by termination would have resulted in a perinatal death had the pregnancy continued without medical intervention. For more information about terminations of pregnancy data in the NPMDC and NPDC, see the box below.
Analysis of the adjusted perinatal mortality rate from 2019 to 2023 shows that increasing numbers of terminations of pregnancy after 20 weeks’ gestation have contributed to the increase in the stillbirth rate in recent years.
Several factors may contribute to an increase in the number of terminations after 20 weeks’, which is the threshold for inclusion in the NPMDC and the NPDC. Legislative changes in some jurisdictions have expanded access to termination services beyond 20 weeks, while constrained access to care in some areas (e.g. routine ultrasound screening) may result in terminations occurring later in pregnancy, and thus being captured in the NPMDC and NPDC.
More detailed data from the National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection are available from the Data page of Australia's mothers and babies:
- The National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection dashboard update 2023 data tables contain the first release of 2023 NPMDC data, including trends over time, and provide more information on the number of perinatal deaths and total births. For the first time, these tables include the data published in the dashboard in a machine-readable format (released February 2026).
- The National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection annual update 2023 data tables contain NPMDC data on stillbirths and neonatal deaths in 2023, including causes, maternal and baby characteristics, and investigations, along with trend data extending back to 2004. The tables include data on perinatal deaths for two focus groups: First Nations women and their babies, and near-term normally formed singleton babies (released June 2026).
Perinatal deaths reported to the NPMDC are those occurring prior to or during labour and/or birth (stillbirth) or up to 28 days after birth (neonatal death) where babies are of 20 or more completed weeks gestation or with a birthweight of at least 400 grams. This includes terminations of pregnancy after 20 weeks’ gestation or with a birthweight of at least 400 grams.
Perinatal deaths resulting from a termination of pregnancy are included in the data throughout this dashboard. The exception to this is the adjusted perinatal mortality rate, which excludes terminations of pregnancy.
The data on terminations of pregnancy in the NPDC and the NPMDC are only a small proportion of all terminations of pregnancy occurring in Australia, as these collections only include information on terminations of pregnancy occurring from at least 20 weeks’ gestation or of at least 400 grams birthweight.
It is important to note that some pregnancies that ended by termination after 20 weeks’ gestation would have resulted in a perinatal death had the pregnancy continued without medical intervention. Perinatal deaths following a termination of pregnancy may have involved one or more of:
- Diagnosis of a fetal congenital anomaly.
- Risk to the woman’s life due to infection or other problems arising from complications of the pregnancy, such as chorioamnionitis or severe pregnancy-induced hypertension (pre-eclampsia and/or eclampsia).
- The presence of a pregnancy complication such as preterm rupture of membranes, inconsistent with long-term fetal survival.
- Decision by the parent(s) or family not to continue the pregnancy.
Data on termination of pregnancy are subject to differences in definitions across states and territories. States and territories also have different laws on termination of pregnancy (or abortion). For more information see: healthdirect’s Health topics: Abortion page.
The landing page for the dashboard shows charts for all perinatal deaths (stillbirths and neonatal deaths).
Use the controls at the top of the dashboard to:
- Filter the data by type of perinatal death (stillbirth, neonatal death, or all perinatal deaths)
- Resize charts
- Reveal notes
- Jump to different groups of charts on the page
- Show or hide different groups of charts on the page
For further information about stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Australia, as well as context and limitations of data from the NPMDC and NPDC, refer to the reports and technical notes linked below.
- Stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Australia, 2022
- Stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Australia, 2021
- Focus group: First Nations women and their babies, 2020–2021
- Focus group: Near-term singleton perinatal deaths without congenital anomaly, 2020–2021
- Australia's mothers and babies, Data source: National Perinatal Data Collection
- Australia's mothers and babies, Data source: National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection
For queries about AIHW's stillbirth and neonatal deaths data, contact [email protected].