1367.2 - State and Regional Indicators, Victoria, Mar 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/05/2004   
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Children in Victoria - a regional analysis


More than 70% of children (aged 0-8 years) lived in metropolitan Melbourne at the time of the 2001 Census of Population and Housing, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This feature article in the publication State and Regional Indicators, Victoria (cat. no. 1367.2) showed that there were 557,928 children in Victoria in 2001. The proportion of children decreased slightly from 13% of the Victorian population in 1996 to 12% in 2001.

Melbourne areas with the highest proportion of children aged 0-8 years were predominantly in outer metropolitan regions: the City of Casey (16%), City of Hume (16%), City of Wyndham (15%), Shire of Melton (15%) and City of Cardinia (15%). This reflected the high rates of population growth taking place in these areas with a predominantly younger demographic profile.

Outside of Melbourne, local government areas with regional centres such as Greater Geelong (4%), Greater Bendigo (2%) and Greater Shepparton (1%) recorded the highest percentages of children 0-8 years.

Indigenous children accounted for 24% of the total Indigenous population in Victoria, indicating a markedly younger age structure than for the non-Indigenous population.

Further details are available in State and Regional Indicators, Victoria, March Quarter 2004 (cat. no. 1367.2).

Media Note: State and Regional Indicators, Victoria also provides information on: Government owned housing, retail spending, building approvals, labour force, prices, finance and natural resources.