The graphic below illustrates the significant differences in the demographic composition of the Australian population. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population shows a young population with approximately 42 percent under working age and less than 50 percent of working age (aged 20-59) compared with an older profile in the non-Indigenous population with approximately 26 percent under working age and over 56 percent of working age (aged 20-59).
Figure 1: Australian population pyramid, by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, 2011
Source: Healthinfonet
The geographic distribution of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population also varies greatly from the non-Indigenous population.
Table 1: Population, by remoteness and Indigenous status, 2011 census
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
Australia |
|
Indigenous population |
233,146 |
147,683 |
146,129 |
51,275 |
91,648 |
669,881 |
|
Non-Indigenous population |
15,451,394 |
3,963,346 |
1,880,300 |
263,401 |
111,702 |
21,670,143 |
|
Total population |
15,684,540 |
4,111,029 |
2,026,429 |
314,676 |
203,350 |
22,340,024 |
Source: SOURCE: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
In 2011, there were 15.7 million people living in major cities, 6.1 million in regional (rural) Australia and about 500,000 in remote Australia.
Table 2: Population living in each remoteness area, percent Indigenous and non-Indigenous, 2011 census
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
Australia |
|
Indigenous population |
1% |
4% |
7% |
16% |
45% |
3% |
|
Non-Indigenous population |
99% |
96% |
93% |
84% |
55% |
97% |
|
Total population |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Source: NRHA derived http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
While only 1% of the population in Major Cities is Indigenous, 45% of the population in Very Remote areas is Indigenous.
Table 3: Percentage of Australian population living in each remoteness area, by Indigenous status, 2011 census
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
Australia |
|
Indigenous population |
35% |
22% |
22% |
8% |
14% |
100% |
|
Non-Indigenous population |
71% |
18% |
9% |
1% |
1% |
100% |
|
Total population |
70% |
18% |
9% |
1% |
1% |
100% |
Source: NRHA derived from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
Approximately 35% of Australia’s Indigenous people live in Major cities, with 65% living in regional and remote areas. In comparison, 71% of Australia’s non-Indigenous people live in Major cities, and 29% live in regional or remote areas.
In total, 70% of Australians live in Major cities, while 30% live in regional or remote areas (27.5% of Australians live in regional areas, while 2.5% live in remote areas)
Table 3: Percentage of the population in each remoteness area, by broad age group, 2011
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
|
Age (years) |
Percent |
||||
|
0-14 |
18% |
20% |
20% |
21% |
24% |
|
15-24 |
14% |
13% |
12% |
12% |
15% |
|
25-54 |
43% |
38% |
39% |
44% |
46% |
|
55-64 |
11% |
13% |
13% |
12% |
9% |
|
65+ |
13% |
17% |
15% |
10% |
7% |
|
total |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Source: NRHA derived from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
Table 4: Same table, summarised for broad remoteness area 2011
|
|
MC |
Regional |
Remote |
|
Age (years) |
Percent |
||
|
0-14 |
18% |
20% |
22% |
|
15-24 |
14% |
13% |
13% |
|
25-54 |
43% |
38% |
45% |
|
55-64 |
11% |
13% |
11% |
|
65+ |
13% |
16% |
9% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Source: NRHA derived from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
Figure 2: Percentage of the population in each remoteness area, by broad age group, 2011
Source: NRHA derived from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
Figure 3: Percentage of the population in MCs, regional and remote Australia, by broad age group, 2011
Source: NRHA derived from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
Compared with Major cities:
- Rural (including regional) populations have proportionally more children, fewer young adults, fewer people of working age, more people in late working age approaching retirement, and more elderly people.
- Remote populations have proportionally more children, fewer young adults, slightly more people of working age, similar numbers of people in late working age approaching retirement, and substantially fewer elderly people.
For every ten working age adults aged 25-54 years, there are:
- three elderly (65+) people in Major cities,
- four elderly people in regional areas and
- two elderly people in remote areas
Table 5: Proportion of the population by remoteness, 2011
|
Proportion of Australia's population in each jurisdictions remoteness areas |
||||||
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
Australia |
|
NSW |
24% |
6% |
2% |
0% |
0% |
32% |
|
Vic |
19% |
5% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
25% |
|
Qld |
12% |
4% |
3% |
0% |
0% |
20% |
|
SA |
5% |
1% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
7% |
|
WA |
8% |
1% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
11% |
|
Tas |
0% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
2% |
|
NT |
0% |
0% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
1% |
|
ACT |
2% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
2% |
|
Total |
70% |
18% |
9% |
1% |
1% |
100% |
|
|
||||||
|
Proportion of each jurisdictions population in each remoteness area |
||||||
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
Australia |
|
NSW |
74% |
19% |
6% |
0% |
0% |
100% |
|
Vic |
76% |
19% |
4% |
0% |
0% |
100% |
|
Qld |
62% |
20% |
15% |
2% |
1% |
100% |
|
SA |
73% |
11% |
12% |
3% |
1% |
100% |
|
WA |
76% |
9% |
8% |
4% |
3% |
100% |
|
Tas |
0% |
66% |
32% |
2% |
0% |
100% |
|
NT |
0% |
0% |
56% |
21% |
23% |
100% |
|
ACT |
100% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
100% |
|
Total |
70% |
18% |
9% |
1% |
1% |
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proportion of each remoteness area in each jurisdiction |
||||||
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
Australia |
|
NSW |
34% |
34% |
22% |
10% |
4% |
32% |
|
Vic |
27% |
26% |
12% |
2% |
0% |
25% |
|
Qld |
18% |
22% |
33% |
25% |
29% |
20% |
|
SA |
8% |
4% |
10% |
14% |
7% |
7% |
|
WA |
11% |
5% |
9% |
31% |
31% |
11% |
|
Tas |
0% |
8% |
8% |
3% |
1% |
2% |
|
NT |
0% |
0% |
6% |
15% |
27% |
1% |
|
ACT |
2% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
2% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Source: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3218.02012-13
Population by Indigenous status, remoteness, age group and state
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3238.0.55.001June%202011?OpenDocument
Population by remoteness and state, 2003 to 2013 trends
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3218.02012-13?OpenDocument
Population by Modified Monash
Table 6: Indicative population by Modified Monash Model and State/Territory, 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
State total |
|
NSW |
5,356,149 |
194,900 |
707,416 |
360,926 |
563,045 |
28,874 |
7,219 |
7,218,529 |
|
VIC |
4,236,430 |
371,034 |
287,966 |
238,126 |
398,723 |
5,538 |
- |
5,537,817 |
|
QLD |
2,775,602 |
908,786 |
134,303 |
179,071 |
340,235 |
71,628 |
62,675 |
4,472,301 |
|
SA |
1,203,477 |
42,630 |
126,250 |
29,513 |
178,718 |
40,990 |
18,036 |
1,639,614 |
|
WA |
1,805,065 |
108,257 |
131,791 |
25,887 |
122,377 |
96,490 |
63,542 |
2,353,409 |
|
TAS |
- |
320,188 |
82,349 |
1,534 |
96,670 |
8,184 |
2,557 |
511,483 |
|
NT |
- |
124,666 |
- |
- |
6,245 |
46,027 |
54,354 |
231,292 |
|
ACT |
367,249 |
736 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
367,985 |
|
Aus |
15,743,971 |
2,071,197 |
1,470,076 |
835,059 |
1,706,014 |
297,731 |
208,382 |
22,332,430 |
Source: Derived by NRHA, based on the percentage of the population in each state and MMM zone (pers com Paul Cutting at DoH) and ABS 2011 Census data.
The population data in this table are indicative, and should not be treated as precise. Reliable population estimates for MM categories will have to await development and release by ABS or similar
Figure 4: Visual representation of population distribution by Modified Monash (MM), 2011
Source: Derived by NRHA, based on the percentage of the population in each state and MMM zone (pers com Paul Cutting at DoH) and ABS 2011 Census data.