Place of birth

Overview

In 2022, 94.4% of women who gave birth in NSW planned and actually gave birth in a hospital, compared to 4.1% who planned a birth centre birth and 0.8% who planned a homebirth. In 2022, among women who gave birth in NSW, the greatest number of planned birth centre births was to women living in Hunter New England Local Health District (n=1,002), followed by Western Sydney Local Health District (n=718).

Planned and actual place of birth by local health district of residence, NSW 2022

By number of births

Local Health District	Planned hospital birth, and actual hospital birth	Planned hospital birth, but actual born before arrival	Planned birth centre birth, and actual birth centre birth	Planned birth centre birth, but actual hospital birth	Planned homebirth, and actual homebirth	Planned homebirth, but actual hospital birth	Total
Sydney	6597	26	145	28	n.p.	n.p.	6814
South Western Sydney	13325	79	41	42	67	6	13560
South Eastern Sydney	9035	48	277	177	79	16	9633
Illawarra Shoalhaven	4201	41	n.p.	125	66	n.p.	4470
Western Sydney	13443	120	303	415	42	8	14331
Nepean Blue Mountains	4411	n.p.	133	163	44	n.p.	4788
Northern Sydney	8256	29	7	n.p.	62	n.p.	8363
Central Coast	3604	36	n.p.	84	43	n.p.	3770
Hunter New England	9716	100	577	425	121	39	10978
Northern NSW	2350	46	137	59	43	6	2641
Mid North Coast	2017	20	61	78	n.p.	n.p.	2180
Southern NSW	1383	8	26	93	n.p.	n.p.	1516
Murrumbidgee	2200	22	68	134	n.p.	n.p.	2428
Western NSW	3574	44	n.p.	22	6	n.p.	3650
Far West	192	n.p.	8	n.p.	0	n.p.	204
Other–not stated	1046	9	n.p.	19	9	n.p.	1091
Total	85350	665	1829	1869	608	90	90417

By percentage of births

Local Health District	Planned hospital birth, and actual hospital birth	Planned hospital birth, but actual born before arrival	Planned birth centre birth, and actual birth centre birth	Planned birth centre birth, but actual hospital birth	Planned homebirth, and actual homebirth	Planned homebirth, but actual hospital birth	Total
Sydney	96.8	0.4	2.1	0.4	n.p.	n.p.	100.0
South Western Sydney	98.3	0.6	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.0	100.0
South Eastern Sydney	93.8	0.5	2.9	1.8	0.8	0.2	100.0
Illawarra Shoalhaven	94.0	0.9	n.p.	2.8	1.5	n.p.	100.0
Western Sydney	93.8	0.8	2.1	2.9	0.3	0.1	100.0
Nepean Blue Mountains	92.1	n.p.	2.8	3.4	0.9	n.p.	100.0
Northern Sydney	98.7	0.3	0.1	n.p.	0.7	n.p.	100.0
Central Coast	95.6	1.0	n.p.	2.2	1.1	n.p.	100.0
Hunter New England	88.5	0.9	5.3	3.9	1.1	0.4	100.0
Northern NSW	89.0	1.7	5.2	2.2	1.6	0.2	100.0
Mid North Coast	92.5	0.9	2.8	3.6	n.p.	n.p.	100.0
Southern NSW	91.2	0.5	1.7	6.1	n.p.	n.p.	100.0
Murrumbidgee	90.6	0.9	2.8	5.5	n.p.	n.p.	100.0
Western NSW	97.9	1.2	n.p.	0.6	0.2	n.p.	100.0
Far West	94.1	n.p.	3.9	n.p.	0.0	n.p.	100.0
Other–not stated	95.9	0.8	n.p.	1.7	0.8	n.p.	100.0
Total	94.4	0.7	2.0	2.1	0.7	0.1	100.0

Downloads

Notes

Source: NSW Perinatal Data Collection (SAPHaRI). Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.

Planned refers to the mother's intention at the onset or induction of labour, or at the time of elective caesarean section.
Hospital includes a hospital theatre or delivery suite.
Birth centre is a facility where women are able to birth in an environment that is physically separate from a labour ward but has access to emergency medical facilities for both mother and child if required. The facility has a home-like atmosphere and focuses on a model of care that ensures continuity of care, a family-centred approach and informed patient participation in choices related to the birth process.
Planned homebirth is a birth that is planned to occur and occurs at a place outside a hospital delivery suite or birth centre (normally a home).
Cells with counts less than 5 are suppressed, and other cells may also be hidden to prevent back-calculation. These cells are marked with n.p.

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