4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2005  
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Contents >> Family and community >> National and state family and community summary tables

National and state family and community summary tables

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: NATIONAL SUMMARY
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Units
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
1
Total households(a)(b)
'000
6,554
6,668
6,762
6,910
7,015
7,127
7,250
r7,367(c)
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
2
Lone-person households(a)(b)
%
22.4
22.9
23.0
23.6
23.7
24.1
24.6
r24.5(c)
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
3
Households with three or more persons(a)(b)
%
45.0
44.7
44.5
43.8
43.2
43.1
42.5
r42.5(c)
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
4
Total families
'000
4,709
4,791
4,834
4,899
5,027
5,056
5,116
r5,242
r5,355
r5,441
5,528
5
Families with children aged under 15 years
'000
2,041
2,100
2,092
2,130
2,160
2,166
2,172
r2,179
r2,211
r2,191
2,224
6
Couple families
'000
3,998
4,051
4,080
4,090
4,158
4,197
4,265
r4,349
r4,423
r4,526
4,550
7
De facto couple families - of all couple families(d)
%
n.a.
n.a.
10.1
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
12.4
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
8
Couple-only families - of all couple families
%
51.0
51.1
51.9
51.1
51.8
52.3
52.6
r53.7
r54.1
r55.3
55.3
9
Couple-only families with female partner aged under 40 years - of all couple only families
%
22.7
21.6
21.3
20.9
21.3
21.3
21.5
r21.4
r22.4
r23.0
22.1
10
Couple families with children aged under 15 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
82.8
81.5
81.6
80.0
78.4
78.8
79.1
r78.4
77.0
r78.3
76.9
11
Lone-father families with children aged under 15 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.3
2.0
1.9
2.3
2.3
2.7
2.5
2.8
12
Lone-mother families with children aged under 15 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
15.4
16.6
16.3
17.7
19.5
19.3
18.6
19.3
r20.4
19.3
20.3
13
Families with at least one child aged under 5 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
47.8
47.4
r47.7
47.8
46.2
45.0
r46.2
r44.9
r43.9
r44.8
45.1
14
Average family size - persons
no.
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.0
3.0
3.0
15
Children aged under 15 living in one-parent families - of all children aged under 15
%
15.3
16.4
16.3
18.0
19.5
19.0
18.2
19.6
r20.6
r19.8
20.8
16
Persons aged 20-24 living with parents - of all persons aged 20-24
%
44.7
45.2
44.5
46.2
48.0
47.2
45.5
r45.6
r45.6
r45.0
46.8
17
Persons aged 25-34 living with parents - of all persons aged 25-34
%
10.5
10.6
10.7
11.5
12.4
11.8
12.3
r12.4
r12.5
r11.6
12.5
18
Persons aged 15-64 who live alone - of all persons aged 15-64
%
7.0
7.4
7.6
7.9
8.0
8.2
r8.5
r8.7
r8.8
r9.0
9.1
19
Persons aged 65 and over who live alone - of all persons aged 65 and over
%
29.4
29.3
29.8
30.7
28.9
29.5
r31.2
r29.4
30.3
30.0
28.6
20
Children aged 0-17 with a natural parent living elsewhere - of all children 0-17
%
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
21.2
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
23.3
n.a.
FAMILIES AND WORK
Unit
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Couple families with children aged under 15 years
21
Both parents employed - of all couple families with children aged under 15
%
51.1
56.2
54.5
54.4
55.6
54.9
56.3
r56.8
r57.2
r57.7
57.3
22
Neither parent employed - of all couple families with children aged under 15
%
10.0
8.4
7.9
8.6
8.5
7.9
7.5
7.5
7.2
6.3
6.4
23
One-parent families with children aged under 15, parent employed - of all one-parent families with children aged under 15
%
41.8
43.2
r42.8
42.9
42.1
44.0
47.3
r46.6
r46.3
r46.4
48.0
24
Children aged under 15 living in families where no resident parent is employed - of all children aged under 15(e)
%
n.a.
n.a.
16.2
18.6
17.7
17.8
17.9
17.4
n.a.
16.2
n.y.a.
FAMILY FORMATION
Units
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Registered marriages
25
Number of marriages
'000
111.2
109.4
106.1
106.7
110.6
114.3
113.4
103.1
105.4
106.4
n.y.a.
26
Crude marriage rate (per 1,000 population)
rate
6.2
6.1
5.8
5.8
5.9
6.0
5.9
5.3
5.4
5.4
n.y.a.
27
Marriages where both partners married for the first time - of all marriages
%
67.5
67.5
66.4
66.6
66.7
66.9
66.6
66.9
66.3
66.4
n.y.a.
28
Median age of males at first marriage
years
27.2
27.3
27.6
27.8
27.9
28.2
28.5
28.7
29.0
29.2
n.y.a.
29
Median age of females at first marriage
years
25.1
25.3
25.7
25.9
26.2
26.4
26.7
26.9
27.1
27.3
n.y.a.
30
Median age at remarriage - divorced males
years
40.9
41.1
41.6
41.8
42.0
42.2
42.7
43.1
43.6
43.6
n.y.a.
31
Median age at remarriage - divorced females
years
37.4
37.6
38.0
38.2
38.4
38.6
39.1
39.5
39.8
40.2
n.y.a.
Divorce
32
Number of divorces
'000
48.3
49.7
52.5
51.3
51.4
52.6
49.9
55.3
54.0
53.1
n.y.a.
33
Crude divorce rate (per 1,000 population)
rate
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.8
2.7
2.8
2.6
2.9
2.7
2.7
n.y.a.
34
Median duration of marriage until final separation
years
7.6
7.6
7.6
7.7
7.8
7.9
8.2
8.3
8.6
8.7
n.y.a.
35
Divorces involving children aged under 18 years - of all divorces
%
52.4
n.a.
53.6
54.0
53.4
53.9
52.7
51.2
49.7
50.1
n.y.a.
36
Children aged under 18 involved in divorce
'000
47.5
n.a.
52.5
51.7
51.6
53.4
49.6
53.4
50.5
49.9
n.y.a.
Fertility
37
Births(f)
'000
258.1
256.2
253.8
251.8
249.6
248.9
249.6
246.4
251.0
251.2
n.y.a.
38
Total fertility rate (per female)
rate
1.85
1.83
1.80
1.78
1.76
1.76
1.76
1.73
1.75
1.76
n.y.a.
39
Births to mothers aged under 20 - of all births
%
5.0
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.8
4.6
4.3
n.y.a.
40
Births to mothers aged 35 and over - of all births
%
12.9
13.7
14.6
15.3
16.1
16.8
17.4
17.8
18.4
19.1
n.y.a.
41
Births outside marriage - of all births
%
25.6
26.6
27.4
28.1
28.7
29.2
29.2
30.7
31.3
31.6
n.y.a.
42
Births outside marriage acknowledged by father -of all births outside marriage
%
82.2
83.3
84.2
85.5
87.1
88.2
88.2
87.9
88.0
88.2
n.y.a.
43
Females aged 35 and over giving birth for the first time - of all females aged 35 and over giving birth
%
20.8
20.8
21.2
22.4
23.3
23.7
24.7
25.2
25.6
n.y.a.
n.y.a.
44
Median age of mothers at first birth
years
26.8
26.9
27.1
27.3
27.5
27.6
27.9
28.0
28.0
n.y.a.
n.y.a.
CHILD CARE
Units
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
45
Children aged under 3 using formal care - of all children aged under 3(g)
%
n.a.
n.a.
21.6
n.a.
n.a.
22.3
n.a.
n.a.
25.2
n.a.
n.a.
46
Children aged under 3 using informal care - of all children aged under 3(g)
%
n.a.
n.a.
39.3
n.a.
n.a.
43.0
n.a.
n.a.
36.9
n.a.
n.a.
47
Children aged 3-4 using formal care - of all children aged 3-4(g)
%
n.a.
n.a.
59.2
n.a.
n.a.
65.7
n.a.
n.a.
72.8
n.a.
n.a.
48
Children aged 3-4 using informal care - of all children aged 3-4(g)
%
n.a.
n.a.
41.2
n.a.
n.a.
43.2
n.a.
n.a.
36.4
n.a.
n.a.
49
Median weekly hours of care received by children aged under 3 - formal and informal combined
hours
n.a.
n.a.
12
n.a.
n.a.
11
n.a.
n.a.
13
n.a.
n.a.
50
Median weekly hours of care received by children aged 3-4 - formal and informal combined
hours
n.a.
n.a.
14
n.a.
n.a.
14
n.a.
n.a.
16
n.a.
n.a.
COMMUNITY
Units
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
51
Persons aged 18 and over - volunteer rate in previous 12 months
%
n.a.
23.6
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
31.8
n.a.
34.4
n.a.
n.a.
52
Carers for person with a disability - of all persons(h)
%
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
12.6
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
13.0
n.a.
53
Primary carers for person with severe/profound disability - of all persons(h)
%
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
2.4
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
2.4
n.a.
54
Persons aged 18 and over - attendance rate at any sporting event in previous 12 months
%
n.a.
43.3
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
46.3
n.a.
n.a.
48.2
n.a.
n.a.
55
Persons aged 18 and over - participation rate in organised sport in previous 12 months(i)
%
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
26.5
28.3
30.3
28.9
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
56
Persons aged 18 and over - attendance rate at live performances in previous 12 months
%
n.a.
45.5
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
43.3
n.a.
n.a.
46.9
n.a.
n.a.
(a) Based on 1996 census data.
(b) Data does not include other territories.
(c) Based on 2001 census data.
(d) Includes same-sex couples. Data only available in census years.
(e) Data for this indicator are derived from the Survey of Income and Housing; results are benchmarked by age for children aged 1-4 years and 5-14 years. These data are not necessarily consistent with data for indicator 15, which are derived from the Labour Force Survey and are not benchmarked for people aged less than 15 years.
(f) Based on registered births.
(g) Components do not add to 100% as some children used both formal and informal care and others used neither.
(h) ‘All persons’ excludes living in institutions.
(i) Data collected in four quarters of the financial year ending in year shown.

Reference periods:
Data for indicators 1-3 are at 30 June.
Data for indicators 4-6 and 8-19, 21-24 are at June.
Data for indicator 7 are at census date.
Data for indicator 20 are at April 1997 & June 2003.
Data for indicators 25-44 are for the calendar year.
Data for indicators 45-50 are at November 1990, June 1993, March 1996, June 1999, June 2002.
Data for indicator 51 are at June 1995, through 4 quarters of 2000, and from March to July 2002.
Data for indicators 52 and 53 are at April-June 1998 and August-November 2003.
Data for indicators 54 are for March 1995, April 1999, and from March to July 2002.
Data on indicator 55 are collected through financial year ending June of the year shown.
Data for indicator 56 are at March 1995, April 1999 and March to July 2002.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: STATE SUMMARY
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Units
Years
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
1
Total households(a)(b)
'000
2001
2,455
1,817
1,383
613
724
192
63
120
7,367
2
Lone-person households(a)(b)
%
2001
23.9
24.4
23.8
28.0
24.7
27.7
21.3
23.8
24.5
3
Households with three or more persons(a)(b)
%
2001
43.9
43.5
41.6
37.5
42.1
37.6
49.9
43.9
42.5
4
Total families
'000
2004
1,838
1,363
1,082
427
555
138
39
86
5,528
5
Families with children aged under 15 years
'000
2004
741
529
458
162
226
56
18
34
2,224
6
Couple families
'000
2004
1,525
1,120
888
345
459
115
30
70
4,550
7
De facto couple families - of all couple families(c)
%
2001
11.5
11.1
14.0
12.4
14.3
14.3
23.2
14.3
12.4
8
Couple-only families - of all couple families
%
2004
55.2
53.8
55.1
58.9
56.5
57.2
53.2
55.2
55.3
9
Couple-only families with female partner aged under 40 years - of all couple only families
%
2004
21.6
23.2
22.1
21.4
21.7
15.4
34.5
30.8
22.1
10
Couple families with children aged under 15 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
2004
77.6
79.7
74.6
72.5
76.1
76.3
68.8
76.1
76.9
11
Lone-father families with children aged under 15 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
2004
2.8
1.9
3.6
3.3
2.9
2.7
5.7
3.3
2.8
12
Lone-mother families with children aged under 15 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
2004
19.5
18.3
21.8
24.1
21.0
21.0
25.4
20.6
20.3
13
Families with at least one child aged under 5 - of all families with children aged under 15
%
2004
46.4
45.6
43.4
42.9
45.3
42.0
45.6
42.5
45.1
14
Average family size - persons
no.
2004
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.9
3.0
3.0
2.9
3.0
3.0
15
Children aged under 15 living in one-parent families - of all children aged under 15
%
2004
19.9
18.6
22.6
24.0
21.3
21.9
31.9
22.0
20.8
16
Persons aged 20-24 living with parents - of all persons aged 20-24
%
2004
49.0
52.7
38.9
45.4
43.2
43.0
40.1
40.9
46.8
17
Persons aged 25-34 living with parents - of all persons aged 25-34
%
2004
13.7
15.3
9.6
9.6
9.9
11.5
5.2
8.8
12.5
18
Persons aged 15-64 who live alone - of all persons aged 15-64
%
2004
8.8
9.0
8.2
11.3
9.6
10.5
13.5
8.3
9.1
19
Persons aged 65 and over who live alone - of all persons aged 65 and over
%
2004
28.3
26.5
30.2
31.2
28.7
30.1
34.3
29.4
28.6
20
Children aged 0-17 with a natural parent living elsewhere - of all children 0-17
%
2003
22.7
20.5
25.6
27.6
22.4
29.5
22.7
27.7
23.3
FAMILIES AND WORK
Units
Years
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
Couple families with children aged under 15 years
21
Both parents employed - of all couple families with children aged under 15
%
2004
57.7
57.2
56.5
59.3
54.1
58.7
71.6
68.3
57.4
22
Neither parent employed - of all couple families with children aged under 15
%
2004
6.7
6.2
6.0
6.8
6.0
8.6
n.a.
4.0
6.3
23
One-parent families with children aged under 15, parent employed - of all one-parent families with children aged under 15
%
2004
42.1
52.5
47.5
52.0
51.3
50.5
59.7
57.7
48.0
24
Children aged under 15 living in families where no resident parent is employed - of all children aged under 15(d)
%
2002-03
16.2
14.7
19.2
12.7
15.7
21.1
*14.4
*13.3
16.2
FAMILY FORMATION
Units
Years
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
Registered marriages
25
Number of marriages
'000
2003
36.9
25.2
22.3
7.6
9.5
2.6
0.7
1.6
106.4
26
Crude marriage rate(per 1,000 population)
rate
2003
5.5
5.1
5.9
5.0
4.9
5.4
3.6
4.8
5.4
27
Marriages where both partners married for the first time - of all marriages
%
2003
68.1
69.0
63.5
64.1
63.7
61.0
58.5
66.6
66.4
28
Median age of males at first marriage
years
2003
29.1
29.4
29.0
29.1
29.5
29.0
29.8
28.8
29.2
29
Median age of females at first marriage
years
2003
27.1
27.7
27.1
27.1
27.5
27.1
27.3
27.5
27.3
30
Median age at remarriage -divorced males
years
2003
43.2
43.3
43.7
44.7
44.6
44.3
44.6
43.3
43.6
31
Median age at remarriage - divorced females
years
2003
39.5
40.0
40.4
41.3
41.4
41.8
41.1
40.2
40.2
Divorce
32
Number of divorces
‘000
2003
16.3
12.9
10.7
4.2
5.7
1.3
0.5
1.7
53.1
33
Crude divorce rate (per 1,000 population)
rate
2003
2.4
2.6
2.8
2.7
2.9
2.8
2.5
(e)
2.7
34
Median duration of marriage until final separation
years
2003
7.9
8.7
8.8
9.3
9.4
9.8
8.0
9.6
8.7
35
Divorces involving children aged under 18 - of all divorces
%
2003
45.1
52.4
52.0
52.8
51.8
55.2
48.8
54.0
50.1
36
Children aged under 18 involved in divorce
'000
2003
13.4
12.7
10.5
4.1
5.6
1.4
0.5
1.7
49.9
Fertility
37
Births(f)
'000
2003
86.3
61.1
48.3
17.4
24.3
5.8
3.8
4.1
251.2
38
Total fertility rate (per female)
rate
2003
1.80
1.67
1.78
1.72
1.74
1.89
2.38
1.60
1.76
39
Births to mothers aged under 20 - of all births
%
2003
3.8
2.8
5.9
4.2
5.3
7.2
12.5
2.5
4.3
40
Births to mothers aged 35 and over - of all births
%
2003
19.5
21.2
16.5
20.1
18.2
14.6
15.4
20.0
19.1
41
Births outside marriage - of all births
%
2003
27.8
26.6
37.2
34.9
36.1
46.0
63.9
27.3
31.6
42
Births outside marriage acknowledged by father -of all births outside marriage
%
2003
87.7
92.9
86.6
90.9
89.4
85.3
63.8
92.1
88.2
CHILD CARE
Units
Years
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT(g)
ACT
Aust.
43
Children aged under 3 using formal care - of all children aged under 3(h)
%
2002
21.7
26.3
29.7
22.9
23.2
27.5
39.3
39.7
25.2
44
Children aged under 3 using informal care - of all children aged under 3(h)
%
2002
36.8
30.1
36.6
48.4
45.0
40.4
41.4
38.0
36.9
45
Children aged 3-4 using formal care - of all children aged 3-4(h)
%
2002
75.6
71.3
75.0
68.4
69.1
62.9
54.9
79.7
72.8
46
Children aged 3-4 using informal care - of all children aged 3-4(h)
%
2002
33.7
39.8
31.7
48.0
37.0
38.2
35.1
40.9
36.4
47
Median weekly hours of care received by children aged under 3 - formal and informal combined
hours
2002
15
12
16
8
10
10
n.a.
n.a.
13
48
Median weekly hours of care received by children aged 3-4 - formal and informal combined
hours
2002
16
13
18
12
12
12
n.a.
n.a.
16
COMMUNITY
Units
Years
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT(g)
ACT
Aust.
49
Persons aged 18 and over - volunteer rate in the previous 12 months
%
2002
33.4
33.3
35.7
34.7
35.6
37.0
39.5
41.4
34.4
50
Carers for person with a disability - of all persons(i)
%
2003
11.4
14.1
14.3
14.8
12.7
14.8
n.a.
10.8
13.0
51
Primary carers for person with severe/profound disability - of all persons(i)
%
2003
2.3
2.4
3.0
2.5
2.0
3.1
n.a.
1.2
2.4
52
Contact with family or friends living outside the household in last week - of all persons aged 18 and over
%
2002
94.8
95.4
95.4
96.6
96.4
96.5
95.6
98.0
95.4
53
Persons who feel unsafe or very unsafe at home alone after dark - of all persons aged 18 and over
%
2002
7.4
8.6
8.7
9.5
10.5
7.4
10.1
6.5
8.4
54
Could ask for small favours from persons living outside the household - of all persons aged 18 and over
%
2002
92.4
92.2
94.3
95.1
95.3
95.3
94.3
95.4
93.3
55
Persons able to ask for support in time of crisis from persons living outside the household - of all persons aged 18 and over
%
2002
93.2
93.4
94.8
95.3
95.0
96.0
94.1
96.5
94.0
56
Persons aged 18 and over - attendance rate at any sport in previous 12 months
%
2002
43.7
51.6
46.8
51.9
53.5
47.0
56.7
55.7
48.2
(a) Based on 2001 census data.
(b) Australian total does not include other territories.
(c) Includes same-sex couples. Data only available in census years.
(d) Data for this indicator are derived from the Survey of Income and Housing; results are benchmarked by age for children aged 1-4 years and 5-14 years. These data are not necessarily consistent with data for indicator 15, which are derived from the Labour Force Survey and are not benchmarked for people aged less than 15 years.
(e) Based on the location of the Family Court where the divorce is granted and registered. Due to the large number of divorces granted in the Australian Capital Territory to usual residents of another state, the divorce rate for the Australian Capital Territory is not representative of the Australian Capital Territory population.
(f) Based on registered births.
(g) Estimates for the Northern Territory refer to mainly urban areas only.
(h) Components do not add to 100% as some children used both formal and informal care and others used neither.
(i) Excludes persons living in institutions.

Reference periods:
Data for indicators 1-6, 8-19, 21-24 and 43-48 are at June 30.
Data for indicator 7 are at census date.
Data for indicator 20 are at June 2003.
Data for indicators 25-42 are for the calendar year.
Data for indicators 50-51 are at August-November 2003.
Data for indicators 49 and 52-56 are at April-July 2002.



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