MEASURING AUSTRALIA'S PROGRESS - POPULATION AND PROGRESS
Measuring Australia's Progress (MAP) (cat. no. 1370.0) is a new publication that was launched by the Australian Statistician, Dennis Trewin, on 4 April, 2002. It aims to help Australians form their own views about Australia's "progress" during the last decade by providing factual data across a set of 15 key indicators. These indicators have been put together by the ABS after consultation with a wide range of experts, organisations and individuals. They can be broadly summarised into four categories: human capital, natural capital, produced and financial capital, and social capital.
MAP does not consider every aspect of progress that is important, nor does it consider how progress affects every group of Australians or every part of Australia. However, it does provide a national summary of many of the most important areas to be considered when assessing progress.
The Australian population influences and is in turn influenced by progress. Although population is not a measure of progress, an understanding of demographic changes provides key background information and a commentary relating to population is included in MAP. The commentary describes some of the links between many areas of progress and population and sets out some of the arguments for and against population growth. MAP also discusses the changing age and sex distribution of the Australian population and how this affects progress.
For more information or any comments on the publication please contact Jon Hall on (02) 6252-7221 or jon.hall@abs.gov.au
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