3235.0 - Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia, 2016 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 28/08/2017   
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NEW SOUTH WALES

MEDIAN AGE

  • At June 2016, the median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of the New South Wales (NSW) population was 37.6 years, up from 36.8 at June 2006. The median age of males in 2016 was 36.7 years compared with 38.5 years for females.
  • In the ten years to 2016, the median age in Greater Sydney increased from 35.5 to 35.8 years, and from 39.6 to 42.0 years in the rest of NSW.
  • The SA2s with the highest median ages were located in regional areas on or near the coast. These included Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest (61.6 years) near Port Stephens, Tuncurry (60.7) on the Mid North Coast, and Sussex Inlet - Berrara (58.9) on the south coast.
  • The SA2 with the lowest median age was Kensington (26.5 years), which contains the University of NSW. This was followed by major regional centres such as Shortland - Jesmond (26.6) in Newcastle, Wagga Wagga - North (28.1) and Tamworth - West (29.5). Many of these areas contain higher education campuses.

SA2s WITH OLDEST AND YOUNGEST MEDIAN AGES(a), New South Wales, 2016

Median Age
SA2GCCSA
years

OLDEST MEDIAN AGES

Tea Gardens - Hawks NestRest of NSW
61.6
TuncurryRest of NSW
60.7
Sussex Inlet - BerraraRest of NSW
58.9
Narooma - BermaguiRest of NSW.
57.3
South West RocksRest of NSW
55.8

YOUNGEST MEDIAN AGES

KensingtonGreater Sydney
26.5
Shortland - JesmondRest of NSW
26.6
KingsfordGreater Sydney
27.5
Wagga Wagga - NorthRest of NSW
28.1
Tamworth - WestRest of NSW
29.5

(a) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2016.
  • In the ten years to 2016, the largest increases in median age were in regional areas of NSW. These included Eden (up 7.9 years) on the south coast, Tenterfield (up 7.5 years) in the New England region and Dorrigo (up 7.0 years) in the Northern Tablelands The largest decreases in median age between 2006 and 2016 were in Cobbitty - Leppington (down 5.6 years) in Sydney, and Shortland - Jesmond and Maitland (both down 4.5 years).


SEX RATIO
  • At June 2016, there were 98.2 males for every 100 females in NSW. The sex ratio was slightly higher in Greater Sydney (98.5) than in the rest of NSW (97.6).
  • The SA2 of Auburn - North in western Sydney had the highest sex ratio in NSW (140.3 males per 100 females) followed by inner-city Darlinghurst (136.2). High sex ratios were also apparent in Junee (133.4), which contains the Junee Correctional Centre, Surry Hills (133.3) and Potts Point - Woolloomooloo (129.6), both in inner Sydney. The lowest sex ratios were in Castle Hill - East (83.2) in Sydney's north-west and Woollahra (85.6) in the city's eastern suburbs.

SA2s WITH HIGHEST AND LOWEST SEX RATIOS(a), New South Wales, 2016

Sex Ratio
SA2GCCSA
males per 100 females

HIGHEST SEX RATIOS

Auburn - NorthGreater Sydney
140.3
DarlinghurstGreater Sydney
136.2
JuneeRest of NSW
133.4
Surry HillsGreater Sydney
133.3
Potts Point - WoolloomoolooGreater Sydney
129.6

LOWEST SEX RATIOS

Castle Hill - EastGreater Sydney
83.2
WoollahraGreater Sydney
85.6
Tweed Heads SouthRest of NSW
86.2
MittagongRest of NSW
86.8
Kincumber - Picketts ValleyGreater Sydney
87.0

(a) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2016.


AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION
  • The age distribution of Greater Sydney was younger than for the rest of the state. At June 2016, 31% of Greater Sydney's population were aged 20 to 39 years, compared with 23% in the rest of the state. Conversely, in the rest of NSW, 26% of the population were aged 60 years or over, compared with 18% of the population in Greater Sydney.

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION (%), New South Wales - 30 June 2016
Population pyramid showing proportion of population by age and sex, NSW, 30 June 2016