3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2010-11 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/03/2012   
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SOUTH AUSTRALIA


State summary

Population change in Adelaide

Population change in the remainder of South Australia

Population density

Centre of population

Local government area populations


STATE SUMMARY

At 30 June 2011, the estimated resident population of South Australia (SA) was 1.66 million people, which represented 7.3% of the total Australian population. The population increased by 12,800 people since June 2010, a considerably smaller increase than previous years. SA's growth rate for 2010-11 was 0.8%, lower than its average annual growth rate of 1.1% for the five years to June 2011. In 2010-11, SA had the third slowest growth rate of all states and territories, behind the Northern Territory and Tasmania. This is the first time since 2002-03 that SA's growth rate surpassed the Northern Territory's.

SLA POPULATION CHANGE, South Australia - 2010-11
Diagram: SLA POPULATON CHANGE, South Australia—2010–11



POPULATION CHANGE IN ADELAIDE

Adelaide SD

At June 2011, the population of Adelaide SD was 1.21 million, which represented 73% of the total state population. In 2010-11, the population increased by 10,600 people or 0.9%, slower than the five year annual average to 2011 of 1.1%. The remainder of the state grew by 2,200 people or 0.5%, down from 1.1% last year.

In 2010-11, the six LGAs with the largest population increases were all within Adelaide SD. Playford (C), to the north of the city, and Onkaparinga (C) to the south, recorded the largest increases, up 2,400 and 2,000 people respectively. Salisbury (C) and the adjoining Port Adelaide Enfield (C) followed, increasing by 1,700 and 1,600 people respectively. Charles Sturt (C), located to the west of the city, increased by 1,100 people, while Marion (C), south of the city, increased by 570 people. These six LGAs accounted for the majority (88%) of the population growth in the metropolitan area.

Playford (C) was also the fastest-growing LGA within Adelaide SD, increasing by 3.0% to 82,200 people. Port Adelaide Enfield (C) grew by 1.4%, while Salisbury (C) grew by 1.3%. Growth in inner-city Adelaide (C) markedly slowed from the five year annual average of 2.6%, to 0.9% in 2010-11.

The LGAs of Tea Tree Gully (C) and Prospect (C) were the only LGAs within Adelaide to decrease in population, however these declines were only slight (down 50 and 30 people respectively). Population in the LGAs of Burnside (C) and Unley (C) remained stable.


Outer Adelaide SD

In 2010-11, Outer Adelaide SD recorded the highest growth rate of all SDs in the state, increasing by 1.3% (or 1,900 people). The fastest-growing LGAs in this SD were Victor Harbor (C), on the Fleurieu Peninsula, and Mount Barker (DC), in the eastern Mount Lofty Ranges, which both grew by 1.8%. Light (RegC), located near the Barossa Valley to the north of Adelaide, grew by 1.5%, and Alexandrina (DC), on the Fleurieu Peninsula, grew by 1.3%.

Mount Barker (DC) had the largest population increase in Outer Adelaide (up by 550 people), followed by Adelaide Hills (DC) (340). The populations of Alexandrina (DC), Victor Harbor (C), Barossa (DC) and Light (RegC) each increased by more than 200 people.

Yankalilla (DC) was the only LGA within the Outer Adelaide SD that recorded a slight population decline (-0.4%).

LGAs WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH, South Australia

ERP at 30 June
Population Change
2011p
2010r-2011p
LGA
no.
no.
%

LARGEST GROWTH

Playford (C)
82 200
2 400
3.0
Onkaparinga (C)
164 800
2 000
1.2
Salisbury (C)
134 000
1 700
1.3
Port Adelaide Enfield (C)
114 800
1 600
1.4
Charles Sturt (C)
109 400
1 100
1.0

FASTEST GROWTH

Playford (C)
82 200
2 400
3.0
Anangu Pitjantjatjara (AC)
2 500
60
2.3
Victor Harbor (C)
14 200
260
1.8
Lower Eyre Peninsula (DC)
5 000
90
1.8
Mount Barker (DC)
31 100
550
1.8



POPULATION CHANGE IN THE REMAINDER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Population growth

In the 12 months to June 2011, the remainder of SA generally experienced smaller population increases than the Adelaide and Outer Adelaide SDs. Yorke and Lower North SD grew by 0.4% (or 170 people), which was both the fastest and largest growth in the remainder of the state. However, this was down from 1.0% (480 people) in the previous year.

LGAs within the remainder of SA to experience fast growth were Anangu Pitjantjatjara (AC) (2.3%) in Northern SD and Lower Eyre Peninsula (DC) (1.8%) in Eyre SD, followed by Mount Remarkable (DC) (1.1%) in Northern SD, and Clare and Gilbert Valleys (DC) (1.0%) in Yorke and Lower North SD.

Murray Bridge (RC) recorded the largest population increase (160 people) for an LGA outside of the Adelaide and Outer Adelaide SDs. Mount Gambier (C), in the south-east, and Lower Eyre Peninsula (DC) grew by 100 and 90 people respectively.


Population decline

Around two-fifths of LGAs in the remainder of SA decreased in population, with the largest decline in Wattle Range (DC) (down 100 people). This was followed by Port Pirie City and Dists (M) (down 70 people), north of Yorke Peninsula, and Renmark Paringa (DC) (down 60) in the Riverland. Other LGAs to experience population declines in 2010-11 were Barunga West (DC) and Port Augusta (C), both also located to the north of Yorke Peninsula.

POPULATION DENSITY

The population density of SA at June 2011 was 1.7 people per square kilometre (sq km), the same as at June 2010. Most of the state had a very low population density, with 28 SLAs (comprising 92% of the state's total area) having less than one person per sq km. While the population density of SA was the third lowest of all states and territories, Adelaide SD had the highest of all capital city SDs at 660 people per sq km.

The most densely populated SLAs within Adelaide SD were Unley (C) - East, which adjoins Adelaide (C) to the south, and Holdfast Bay (C) - North, on the coast (both 2,900 people per sq km). This was followed by Prospect (C) (2,700), which also borders the city of Adelaide.

The SLAs in Adelaide SD with the largest increases in density between June 2010 and June 2011 were the adjoining Playford (C) - West Central (up 70 people per sq km) and Playford (C) - East Central (49), followed by Charles Sturt (C) - North-East (43). While Unley (C) - East was the most densely populated SLA in SA, its density decreased by 5.1 people per sq km in 2010 -11, which was the second largest decrease for the state.

POPULATION DENSITY BY SLA, Adelaide SD - June 2011
Diagram: POPULATION DENSITY BY SLA, Adelaide SD—June 2011



CENTRE OF POPULATION

The centre of population for SA at June 2011 was in the suburb of Northfield, in the Port Adelaide Enfield (C) LGA. The centre moved approximately 0.5 kilometres south-west in the five years to June 2011.

For Adelaide SD, the centre of population at June 2011 was near the Women's and Children's Hospital, in the suburb of North Adelaide.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA POPULATIONS

For a full list of LGA populations, see the Downloads tab.