HIGHLIGHTS

Births

• There were 115,769 births to New Jersey residents in 2001 and the birth rate was 13.6 per 1,000 population. The number and rate were virtually unchanged from 2000.
  
  
• For the first time, less than 7 percent of births were to females under 20 years of age.
  
  
• The birth rate for females aged 15-17 decreased to 15.5 per 1,000.
  
  
• The age group with the highest birth rate (112.7 per 1,000) was women aged 30-34.
  
  
• The median age of first-time mothers was 27.7.
  
  
• Twenty percent of births were to Hispanic mothers and 8.1 percent were to Asian and Pacific Islander mothers.
  
  
• The percentage of mothers who were unmarried continued to climb.
  
  
• More than half of black non-Hispanic women, Hispanic women, and women under the age of 25 who gave birth were unmarried. More than half of Cumberland County’s births were to unmarried women.
  
  
• Nearly three-quarters of mothers received prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy. Non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, foreign-born women, unmarried women, and women with less education lagged behind the statewide average for onset of prenatal care. Less than half of mothers living in Camden received first trimester prenatal care.
  
  
• Nearly 15 percent of births to non-Hispanic black mothers were premature (<37 weeks of gestation).
  
  
• The percentage of non-Hispanic black newborns of low birth weight decreased from 2000 but was still 1.7 times the overall percentage of low birth weight babies.
  
  
• The cesarean delivery rate continued to rise and the vaginal birth after previous cesarean (VBAC) rate continued to decline rapidly.

Deaths

• There were 74,710 deaths of New Jersey residents in 2001. The age-adjusted death rate was 832.0 per 100,000 standard population, representing a 2.4 percent decrease from 2000.
  
  
• As a result of the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks, 692 New Jersey residents died. Of those, 87 percent were white, 83 percent were less than 50 years old, 82 percent were male, and 72 percent were married. Over half lived in Bergen, Monmouth, and Hudson Counties.
  
  
• Life expectancy for New Jersey residents born in 2001 was 77.6 years.
  
  
• The age-adjusted death rate for males was 41 percent higher than for females and the rate for blacks was 35 percent higher than that of whites.
  
  
• Heart disease, cancer, and stroke remained the three leading causes of death and accounted for 60 percent of all deaths in 2001.
  
  
• Unintentional injuries were the leading cause of death of persons under age 44.
  
  
• Homicide was the second leading cause of death of persons aged 25-44 because 9/11-related deaths were categorized as homicides.
  
  
• Cancer was the leading cause of death of persons aged 45-64.
  
  
• The infant mortality rate was 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. The fetal death rate was 7.0 per 1,000 live births plus fetal deaths.
  
  
• The non-Hispanic black infant and fetal mortality rates were three times the rates for non-Hispanic whites and twice the rates for Hispanics.
  
  
• Short gestation and low birth weight were the leading cause of infant deaths. Complications of placenta, cord, and membranes were the leading cause of fetal deaths.

 Marriages and Divorces

• There were 54,536 marriages in New Jersey in 2001. The marriage rate was 6.4 per 1,000 population.
  
  
• There were 28,495 divorces in 2001 and the rate was 3.3 per 1,000 population.
  
  
• The number of marriages was up 10.6 percent over 2000, while the number of divorces increased 11.4 percent.
  
  
• The percentage of first-time brides and grooms under age 25 increased in 2001.
  
  
• September and April were the most popular months for marriages in 2001.
  
  
• Cape May County had the highest ratio of marriages to population.