2914.0.55.002 - 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Media Releases and Fact Sheets, 2006

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	MEDIA FACT SHEET
June 27, 2007	Embargoed 9.30 am (AEST)	70/2007

Balance of the sexes favours women – Census

The 2006 Census shows that Australia continues to have a slight imbalance in the sexes favouring females. The sex ratio reveals that there were 97 males for every 100 females. This pattern is followed in all states and the Australian Capital Territory. By contrast, the Northern Territory has slightly more males than females, with 106 males for every 100 females. Western Australia is close to being in balance with 99 males for every 100 females. The detailed picture below the state and territory level shows a widely varying distribution of the sexes.

The statistical local areas (SLAs) showing the highest ratio of males to females are Canberra's Duntroon (270 males per 100 females) and the Northern Territory's Litchfield (Shire – Part A) (270/100). The population of both of these areas is dominated by the presence of defence force facilities. Other areas showing high proportions of males include those with mining operations, for example Wiluna (Shire) WA (211 males per 100 females). Similarly, prisons affect the sex ratio of a number of areas – Queensland's Stuart-Roseneath (187 males per 100 females) and Victoria's Greater Geelong (City) – Part C (150 males per 100 females). There is also a consistent pattern of males outnumbering females in a number of inner-city SLAs and secondary town centres of the capitals, and some large regional cities.

Where sex ratios favour females, the two areas with the lowest sex ratios (more females than males) are Perth's Peppermint Grove (Shire) and Canberra's Deakin (76 and 77 males per 100 females respectively). Both of these areas have all-female boarding schools, as does Albion in Brisbane (81). Some areas showing relatively large numbers of females have a high proportion of older people in the population, as women are more likely to survive into older ages than men, for example Sydney's Mosman (Area) (84/100) and Adelaide's Burnside (City) – South West (86/100). In particular areas, the presence of retirement villages and aged care facilities will further increase the ageing effect – Brisbane's Chermside and Taigum-Fitzgibbon (80/100 and 83/100), and Canberra's Page (84/100). Areas with higher ratios of females occur outside of the capitals, but are less common.

For people seeking partners, the range of data available from the Census does allow a narrowing of the field. Looking at people aged 20–39 years (i.e. those in prime partnering ages) and not in a couple, and excluding those in institutions, a different picture emerges to the one obtained using sex ratios. Across Australia there is less competition when looking for a man in this age group (52% unattached) than when looking for a woman (44% unattached).

NB: The figures in this fact sheet exclude overseas visitors. Where an answer to a question has not been provided (i.e. not stated) these occurrences form a separate category in the data and therefore some percentages do not total to 100%.

Source: ABS 2006 Census.

Table 1. 2006 Census, Sex ratios and unattached persons(a) - states and territories

		NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust.(b)


Sex Ratio		97.0	96.0	98.0	97.0	99.0	96.0	106.0	97.0	97.0
%

Unattached persons % of all persons aged 20-39 years(a)
	Males	52.2	52.7	49.4	52.8	51.1	48.9	49.7	53.3	51.6
	Females	44.0	45.4	41.6	43.6	41.4	41.8	41.4	46.1	43.6
	All persons	48.0	49.0	45.4	48.2	46.2	45.2	45.6	49.7	47.5

(a) Unattached persons are those people aged 20-39 years who are not married and not in defacto relationships, and excludes those in institutions (i.e. prisons, mental health facilities, etc.) and in convents or monasteries.
(b) Includes Other Territories.

Table 2. 2006 Census: Sex Ratio(a), Top two Statistical Local Areas with the most Males/Females(b)

		Male	Female	Total	Sex Ratio(a)
New South Wales

Most males
	Junee (A) (Prison)	3 283	2 494	5 777	132
	Sydney (C) - East	26 444	20 297	46 741	130
Most females
	Woollahra (A)	23 332	26 829	50 161	87
	Mosman (A)	12 001	14 234	26 235	84
Victoria

Most males
	Greater Geelong (C) - Pt C (Prison)	1 773	1 182	2 955	150
	Wellington (S) - Rosedale (Prison)	4 140	3 168	7 308	131
Most females
	Gr. Bendigo (C) - Eaglehawk (University)	4 027	4 601	8 628	88
	Queenscliffe (B)	1 389	1 628	3 017	85
Queensland

Most males
	Stuart-Roseneath (Prison)	804	431	1 235	187
	Wacol (Prison)	2 872	1 580	4 452	182
Most females
	Albion (Boarding school, Retirement/Aged accommodation)	1 086	1 337	2 423	81
	Chermside (Retirement/Aged accommodation)	2 815	3 534	6 349	80
South Australia

Most males
	Unincorp. Far North (Remote)	904	665	1 569	136
	Coober Pedy (DC) (Mining, Remote)	1 082	829	1 911	131
Most females
	Burnside (C) - South-West	9 687	11 199	20 886	86
	Unley (C) - East	8 907	10 327	19 234	86
Western Australia

Most males
	Wiluna (S) (Remote, Mining)	461	219	680	211
	Laverton (S) (Remote, Mining)	460	266	726	173
Most females
	Mosman Park (T) (Boarding school)	3 772	4 476	8 248	84
	Peppermint Grove (S) (Boarding school)	683	897	1 580	76
Tasmania

Most males
	Hobart (C) - Inner	274	180	454	152
	Derwent Valley (M) - Pt B (Prison)	1 583	1 355	2 938	117
Most females
	Glenorchy (C)	20 785	22 628	43 413	92
	Burnie (C) - Pt A	8 125	8 872	16 997	92
Northern Territory

Most males
	Litchfield (S) - Pt A (Military facility)	900	333	1 233	270
	City - Inner	1 482	999	2 481	148
Most females
	Hanson (Indigenous, Remote)	371	433	804	86
	Daguragu (CGC) (Indigenous, Remote)	250	292	542	86
Australian Capital Territory

Most males
	Duntroon (Military facility)	1 223	461	1 684	265
	City (Canberra)	439	280	719	157
Most females
	Page (Retirement/Aged accommodation)	1 229	1 463	2 692	84
	Deakin (Boarding school)	1 136	1 470	2 606	77

(a) Males per 100 females.
(b) Exclude areas with less than 500 people, and those who had no usual address or who were in off-shore areas. Where the sex ratio of the Statistical Local Area is substantially affected by a clearly identifiable feature of the area these have been noted in square brackets.