POPULATION AND PEOPLE


RECENT RELEASES

2011 Census of Population and Housing

Statistician's Report on the Census

Australian Social Trends: Future Population Growth and Ageing

Household Use of Information Technology


FUTURE RELEASES

Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia

Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians



2011 CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING

The Census is the largest statistical collection undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and one of the most important. The next Census, Australia's 16th, is planned for the night of 9 August 2011. The ABS estimates that there will be in excess of 9 million dwellings included in the next Census.

The ABS has four key goals for the 2011 Census. These are to:

• improve coverage
• ensure the relevance of the Census data to users and providers
• use resources effectively and efficiently
• protect the privacy of the public

In preparation for the 2011 Census, the ABS is seeking the advice and support of community focused and government organisations. The 2011 Census of Population and Housing Local and Regional Engagement Strategy (cat. no. 2911.0.55.001) discusses how your organisation can be involved. Contact details for the Census Engagement Officer in each ABS office are also provided.

More information on the Census can be found in the 2011 Census home page.

STATISTICIAN'S REPORT ON THE CENSUS

Released on 29 January 2009, A Picture of the Nation: the Statistician's Report on the 2006 Census (cat. no. 2070.0) presents statistical analysis and commentary on the results of the 2006 Census. It also incorporates information from previous Censuses, presenting stories about contemporary society and trends that affect the lives of Australian people. The overviews and articles are organised into eight chapters, representing the following broad areas of interest: population; cultural diversity; living arrangements; community; education; work; economic resources; and housing.

The report demonstrates the many strengths of Census data, including its ability to provide information on small population groups and small geographic areas. For example, the feature article 'Families living with young children: A Sydney case study' (Chapter 3 - Living Arrangements) uses the Local Government Areas of Baulkham Hills, Blacktown and Mosman as examples to explore various population characteristics associated with families living with young children.

An example of the information in the report is shown in the following map from Chapter 3:

The report also provides an overview of Australia's population (Chapter 1), including information on population growth in Australian capital cities and large urban centres, while Chapter 6 (Work) contains unemployment and labour force participation rates in selected Statistical Subdivisions. Chapter 7 (Economic Resources) contains a feature article 'Workers' income in selected regions' using the Statistical Subdivisions of North Wimmera (Vic), Greater Dandenong (Vic), Lower North Sydney (NSW) and the Statistical Division of Pilbara (WA) to examine some specific characteristics of the workforce in those regions.

AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL TRENDS: FUTURE POPULATION GROWTH AND AGEING

Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0) is a quarterly publication that presents statistical analysis and commentary on a wide range of current social issues. The latest edition was released on 25 March 2009 and contains the feature article 'Future Population Growth and Ageing'. This article explores the future growth, distribution and age structure of the Australian population using projected population estimates based on a range of assumptions about migration, fertility and life expectancy.

Over the next 50 years, Queensland and Western Australia are expected to experience the most rapid population growth due to the relatively high rates of both overseas and internal migration to these states. Both states are expected to more than double their populations by 2056, with Queensland predicted to overtake Victoria as the second most populous state in 2050.

When compared with capital cities, non-capital city areas typically have significantly higher projected proportions of people aged 65 years and over, as many older people retire to coastal areas. This is reflected in the old age dependency ratio (the ratio of people aged 65 years and over to those aged 15-64), with there being a higher number of working aged people to the elderly in capital cities when compared to non-capital city areas.

To find out more, see the article 'Future Population Growth and Ageing' in the March edition of Australian Social Trends.

HOUSEHOLD USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Released on 18 December 2008, Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8146.0) presents a range of information about the use of Information Technology in Australian households. It includes information about access to computers and the Internet, type of Internet connection, and various socioeconomic characteristics associated with the use of Information Technology.

Key findings from the publication include:

• In 2007-08, 67% of Australian households had home Internet access and 75% of households had access to a computer.
• The number of households with a Broadband Internet connection increased by 22% from the previous year.
• The Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportion of Broadband Internet connections (68% of all households), while Tasmania (39%) and South Australia (42%) were the lowest.
• Metropolitan areas had considerably higher proportions of Broadband Internet connections (57%) than other areas (43%).

POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX, REGIONS OF AUSTRALIA

Scheduled for release on 11 August 2009, Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia, 2008 (cat. no. 3235.0) will present preliminary estimates of the resident populations of areas of Australia as at 30 June 2008, based on Statistical Local Areas (SLAs), Local Government Areas (LGAs), Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and Statistical Divisions (SDs), according to the 2008 edition of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC).


EXPERIMENTAL ESTIMATES AND PROJECTIONS, ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS

Scheduled for release on 8 September 2009, Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 1991-2021 (cat. no. 3238.0) is a five yearly publication which will contain experimental estimates and projections of the Indigenous population based on the most recent Census for states and territories by five-year age groups and sex. Experimental Indigenous estimates at June 2006 will be included for capital city and balance of state, remoteness areas, major population regions and section of state. Indigenous region estimates at June 2006 and projections to 2016 will also be provided.