Population Summary

					Estimated Resident Population 2003p
		Estimated Resident Population		Population Change (a)	Proportion in Age groups (%)
		2002	2003p	2002-2003	0-14	15-64	65 and over	Sex Ratio	Median Age
Statistical Division
	Melbourne	3 513,051	3 559,585	1.3	18.9	68.6	12.5	96.8	35.6
	Barwon	258,735	262,469	1.4	19.9	64.9	15.2	96.9	38.0
	Western District	100,576	100,586	0.0	21.9	62.4	15.7	98.8	38.5
	Central Highlands	142,729	144,483	1.2	20.9	65.1	14.0	96.5	37.0
	Wimmera	51,202	50,916	-0.6	20.6	60.7	18.7	99.5	40.7
	Mallee	90,885	91,123	0.3	22.4	62.2	15.4	99.5	37.7
	Loddon	168,560	170,854	1.3	20.9	64.6	14.5	97.0	38.4
	Goulburn	195,914	198,742	1.4	21.9	63.5	14.6	100.5	37.9
	Ovens-Murray	93,958	94,911	1.0	21.4	64.7	13.9	98.4	37.9
	East Gippsland	80,923	81,249	0.4	20.0	63.0	17.0	101.0	41.2
	Gippsland	160,695	162,393	1.0	21.0	63.6	15.4	96.9	38.9
Victoria		4 857,228	4 917,311	1.2	19.5	67.3	13.2	97.2	36.2

(a) Annual percentage change
p preliminary estimated resident population, based on 2001 Census.


POPULATION

The estimated resident population of Victoria at June 2003 was 4.9 million, an increase of 60,083 people since June 2002. This represents an annual growth rate of 1.2%. In 2003 Victoria's population was 24.7% of the Australian total.

At June 2003 there were an estimated 3.6 million people resident in the Melbourne Statistical Division (SD), representing an increase of 46,534 people between June 2002 and June 2003. Melbourne SD was home to nearly three-quarters (72%) of Victoria’s population at June 2003 and accounted for 77% of Victoria's population growth between June 2002 and June 2003.

The map below shows the percentage change in population between 2002 and 2003 for Victorian Statistical Divisions. The highest growth rate was experienced in the SDs of Barwon and Goulburn (1.4%), while the SD of Wimmera recorded negative growth for the period.

Figure 1: Percentage population change: Victoria by Statistical Divsion

MEDIAN AGE

The median age, the age at which half the population is older and half is younger, for Victoria increased from 36.0 years in 2002 to 36.2 years in 2003. For Victorian males, the median age increased from 35.2 years in 2002 to 35.4 years in 2003 and for Victorian females, the median age increased from 36.8 years in 2002 to 37.1 years in 2003. In the same time, the Australian median age increased from 35.9 years in 2002 to 36.1 years in 2003.

The Statistical Division (SD) of Melbourne recorded the lowest median age, with 35.6 years, and was the only SD to record a lower median age than the whole of Victoria (36.2 years). In comparison, the median age in the Balance of Victoria (Victoria excluding the Melbourne SD) was 38.3, with the highest recorded in the SDs of East Gippsland (41.2 years), Wimmera (40.7 years) and Gippsland (38.9 years).

The LGA which recorded the highest median age both in 2002 and 2003 was Queenscliffe with 48.6 years and 49.3 years respectively. Other LGAs recording high median ages in 2003 were Strathbogie (45.9 years), Buloke and Bass Coast (both 44.4 years), and Loddon (44.1 years).

The LGA with the lowest median age both in 2002 and 2003 was Melbourne with 28.1 years recorded in both years. Other LGAs with low median ages in 2003 were Melton (30.2 years), Wyndham (31.8 years), Casey and Hume (both 32.0 years).


AGE DISTRIBUTION


Children (persons aged 0-14 years)

Children represented 19.5% of the Victorian population at June 2003, a decrease from the 2002 proportion of 19.7%. A declining proportion of children was experienced nationally, with children representing 20.0% of the Australian population in 2003, compared to 20.3% in 2002.

For the Balance of Victoria children make up 21.0% of the total population, compared to 18.9% for the Melbourne SD. The highest proportions of persons in this age group can be found in the SDs of Mallee (22.4%), Western District (21.9%) and Goulburn (21.8%), while the lowest proportions outside Melbourne SD were Barwon (19.9%), East Gippsland (20.0%) and Wimmera (20.6%).

The LGAs with the highest proportion of children in 2003 were Casey (25.2%) and Hume (24.9%). Casey and Hume LGAs also recorded the highest proportion of children in 2002 with 25.6% and 25.3% respectively. In 2003 the following LGAs also recorded a high proportion of children: Melton (24.6%), Cardinia (24.5%), Mitchell (24.4%), Wyndham (24.4%), Moorabool (24.0%), and Nillumbik (23.5%).

The LGA with the lowest proportion of children at June 2003 was Melbourne (7.6%), which also recorded the lowest proportion of children in 2002 (8.3%). In 2003 this was followed by the LGAs (excluding Unincorporated Victoria) Port Phillip (10.2%), Yarra (11.4%), Stonnington (13.2%), and Monash (15.1%).


Persons aged 15-64 years

Persons aged 15-64 years accounted for 67.3% of the Victorian population in 2003 compared to 67.2% in 2002. In both 2002 and 2003, the proportion of persons aged 15-64 in Victoria, was slightly higher than the national averages of 67.1% in 2002 and 67.2% in 2003.

For 2003 the Melbourne SD recorded the highest proportion of persons aged 15-64 (68.6%), marginally higher than the Victorian proportion (67.3%). Balance of Victoria showed a lower proportion of persons aged 15-64 than the Victorian total, with 63.9%, and the lowest proportions of this age group recorded in the SDs of Wimmera (60.7%), Mallee (62.2%) and Western District (62.4%).

The highest proportions of persons aged 15-64 years in 2003 were in the LGAs of Melbourne (84.9%), Yarra (78.7%) and Port Phillip (78.6%), as was the case in 2002, when the proportions were 83.8%, 78.7% and 78.5% respectively. In 2003 these LGAs (excluding Unincorporated Victoria) were followed by Stonnington (72.7%), Melton (70.7%) and Nillumbik (70.2%).

In 2003, the lowest proportion of persons aged 15-64 years were recorded in the LGAs of Queenscliffe (54.2%), Yarriambiack (57.3%) and Hindmarsh (58.0%). In 2002, Queenscliffe, Yarriambiack and Hindmarsh also recorded the lowest proportions of persons aged 15-64 years (54.1%, 57.3% and 57.5% respectively). In 2003 other LGAs which recorded lower proportions of 15-64 year olds were Buloke (59.0%), Bass Coast (59.8%), and Gannawarra (60.1%).


Persons aged 65 years and over

Persons aged 65 years and over accounted for 13.2% of the Victorian population in 2003, representing more of the population than in 2002 (13.1%) and a higher proportion of the population compared to the 2003 and 2002 national proportions of 12.8% and 12.7% respectively.

The Melbourne SD recorded a proportion of 12.5% for persons aged 65 and over, compared to 13.2% for Victoria as a whole. Balance of Victoria recorded higher proportions of persons aged 65 and over than Victoria as a whole, with the highest proportions recorded in the SDs of Wimmera (18.7%), East Gippsland (17.0%) and Western District (15.7%).

The LGAs with the highest proportions of persons aged 65 years and over in 2003 were Queenscliffe (30.3%), Yarriambiack (22.3%) and Bass Coast (22.3%). In 2002, the LGAs with the highest proportions of persons aged 65 years and over were Queenscliffe (29.9%), Hindmarsh (22.4%), and Yarriambiack (22.2%). In 2003 LGAs which also recorded higher proportions of persons aged 65 years and over were, Hindmarsh (22.2%), Buloke (21.3%), Strathbogie (21.3%) and Central Goldfields (20.5%).

In 2003, the LGAs with the lowest proportions of persons aged 65 years and over were Melton (4.7%), Nillumbik (6.3%) and Wyndham (6.5%). These LGAs also had the lowest proportions of persons aged 65 years and over in 2002, with respective proportions of 4.8%, 6.0% and 6.5%. In 2003 these three LGAs were followed by Casey (7.1%), Hume (7.3%), Melbourne (7.5%), and Golden Plains and Whittlesea (both 8.6%).



SEX RATIO

The sex ratio is the number of males per one hundred females. A sex ratio less than 100 indicates that there are fewer males than females. The sex ratio for Victoria remained steady for 2002 and 2003 at 97.2. As shown by Figure 3, in both 2002 and 2003, there were more males to females aged 0 to 24 years, more females to males aged 25 to 54 years and a lower proportion of males to females after 60 years. The lower sex ratio after 60 years reflects the longer life expectancy of females. There is very little change between 2002 and 2003 in the sex ratio across the age groups.




The highest sex ratios for 2002 and 2003 were recorded in the LGA of Pyrenees as 110.2 for both years. In 2003 other LGAs which recorded a high sex ratio were West Wimmera (107.5), Loddon (106.6), Golden Plains (105.3), Buloke (104.4), Moyne (103.6) and Melbourne (103.4).

Among the LGAs, the lowest sex ratios for 2003 and 2002 were recorded in Queenscliffe as 87.2 and 87.3 respectively. In 2003 other LGAs which recorded a low sex ratio were Bayside (91.1), Boroondara (91.2), Whitehorse (91.8), Stonnington (92.7), Ballarat (93.5), and Warrnambool and Glen Eira (both 93.9).