CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION
On 31 March 2012 it was 30 years since the ABS began releasing official population estimates on a 'usual residence' basis in its Estimated Resident Population (ERP) statistical series. The move to ERP was prompted by changes in international traveller behaviour, and also an aspiration of the ABS to have a consistent series of population estimates on a conceptual basis which aligned with United Nations and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) standards. Although it is 30 years since the ABS introduced ERP, the series was backcast on a consistent basis back to 1971, resulting in a time series longer than 40 years.
The ABS published a feature article in the September 2011 issue of Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0) to mark the occasion. A well attended seminar was also given at ABS House, with invited guest speakers Dr Ching Choi (former Director of Demography at the ABS) and Professor Peter McDonald (ANU), along with the current Director of Demography, Patrick Corr.