TASMANIA


State summary

Regional variations

Municipal growth

Population change in Tasmanian cities

Population change in west coast mining and north-western farming regions

Population density

Centre of population

Local government area populations


STATE SUMMARY

Tasmania's estimated resident population grew by 3,200 people in 2010-11 to reach 510,500, an increase of 0.6% for the year. This was the lowest annual increase in Tasmania's population since 2001-02 and below the 0.8% average annual growth rate for the state in the five years from 2006 to 2011. Tasmania had the second lowest population increase of any state or territory between June 2010 and June 2011, after the Northern Territory. Tasmania's population, as a proportion of the Australian population, remained at 2.3% as at 30 June 2011.

REGIONAL VARIATIONS

In 2010-11, the population of all four Tasmanian SDs increased. The fastest growth was in Greater Hobart SD (1.0%), followed by Southern SD (0.8%), Northern SD (0.4%) and Mersey-Lyell SD (0.2%), however all four SDs had slower growth than the previous year. The largest growth was in Greater Hobart (up 2,100 people), followed by Northern (630), Southern (290) and Mersey-Lyell (210). Greater Hobart accounted for 42% of Tasmania's population, followed by Northern (28%), Mersey-Lyell (22%) and Southern (7%). In the five years to June 2011, Greater Hobart's share of Tasmania's population increased while the shares in Northern and Mersey-Lyell declined slightly.

MUNICIPAL GROWTH

In the year to June 2011, around two-thirds of Tasmania's LGAs experienced population growth. The largest municipal population change occurred in the south of the state, with Kingborough (M) growing by 680 people, Brighton (M) by 310 and Sorell (M) by 250. All of these LGAs are within commuting distance of the Hobart central business district.

Latrobe (M) in the state's north, was the fastest-growing Tasmanian LGA in 2010-11, with an increase of 2.3%. The next fastest municipal growth occurred in the south of the state in Kingborough (M) (2.0%), Brighton (M) and Sorell (M) (both 1.9%).

POPULATION CHANGE IN TASMANIAN CITIES

All six Tasmanian cities experienced population growth in the year to June 2011. Clarence (C), on the eastern shore of Hobart's Derwent River, had the largest increase (660 people), followed by Launceston (C) (250), in Tasmania's central north, and Hobart (C) (150). Clarence (C) was also the city with the fastest growth (1.2%), followed by Devonport (C) (0.4%), in the north of the state, and Launceston (C) (0.4%).

LGAs WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH, Tasmania
	ERP at 30 June	Population Change
	2011p	2010r-2011p
LGA	no.	no.	%
LARGEST GROWTH
Kingborough (M)	34 800	680	2.0
Clarence (C)	53 600	660	1.2
Brighton (M)	16 700	310	1.9
Sorell (M)	13 600	250	1.9
Launceston (C)	66 000	250	0.4
FASTEST GROWTH
Latrobe (M)	10 200	230	2.3
Kingborough (M)	34 800	680	2.0
Brighton (M)	16 700	310	1.9
Sorell (M)	13 600	250	1.9
Clarence (C)	53 600	660	1.2

POPULATION CHANGE IN WEST COAST MINING AND NORTH-WESTERN FARMING REGIONS

The population of Mersey-Lyell SD, which includes north-western farming regions, grew slightly in 2010-11, increasing by 210 people (or 0.2%). Of the LGAs located in Mersey-Lyell SD, around half experienced population growth in the year to June 2011. These included Latrobe (M) (up by 2.3%), Devonport (C) (0.4%), Burnie (C) and Central Coast (M) (both 0.2%).

The population of the West Coast (M) LGA, which contains many of Tasmania's mines, decreased by 2.1% in the year to June 2011.

POPULATION DENSITY

At June 2011, the population density of Tasmania was 7.5 people per square kilometre (sq km). The capital city SD of Greater Hobart had a population density of 160 people per sq km, the lowest of any Australian state capital.

The most densely populated SLAs in Greater Hobart SD at June 2011 were Hobart (C) - Inner (810 people per sq km) and Hobart (C) - Remainder (640). Sorell (M) - Pt A, to the east of the city, was the least densely populated at 49 people per sq km.

Hobart (C) - Inner, had the largest increase in population density in the capital city SD from June 2010 to June 2011, increasing by 23 people per sq km. Kingborough (M) - Pt A had the next largest increase (up 2.3 people per sq km). The population density of all SLAs in Greater Hobart SD increased over this period.

CENTRE OF POPULATION

Tasmania's centre of population at June 2011 was in Woods Lake in the LGA of Central Highlands (M). In the five years to June 2011, the centre moved roughly 1.2 kilometres south-east, reflecting continued population growth in Hobart.

For Greater Hobart SD, the centre of population at June 2011 was near the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, in the suburb of Queens Domain.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA POPULATIONS

For a full list of LGA populations, see the Downloads tab.