QUEENSLAND

TOTAL POPULATION

The estimated resident population of Queensland at 30 June 2006 was 4.09 million, an increase of 462,600 people (12.7%) since June 2001. Over the five years to June 2006, Queensland was the fastest growing state or territory, with an average annual growth rate of 2.4%, compared with 1.3% for Australia.

Queensland's population is concentrated in the south-east corner of the state in the Statistical Districts (SDs) of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and West Moreton. These SDs were home to two-thirds of the state's population at June 2006 and accounted for 71.7% of Queensland's population growth in the five years to June 2006. The proportion of the Queensland population living in the south-east region increased from 64.0% at June 1996 to 65.4% at June 2001 and 66.1% at June 2006.

The two fastest growing SDs outside of south-east Queensland in the five years to June 2006 were Mackay and Wide Bay-Burnett, which recorded increases of 22,300 (16.2%) and 32,800 (13.9%), respectively. North West, Central West and South West SDs recorded population declines.

Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) with populations of less than 2,000 people have been excluded from text about SLAs in the following analysis, except for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Councils, which are detailed in a separate section below.


AGE DISTRIBUTION

The proportion of younger residents in Queensland continues to decrease, while the proportion of older residents continues to increase. At June 1996, 22.0% of Queensland's people were aged under 15 years, compared with 21.3% at June 2001 and 20.4% at June 2006. The proportion of the state's population aged 65 years or more has increased from 11.2% at June 1996 to 11.6% at June 2001 and 12.1% at June 2006.


MEDIAN AGE

The median age is that age which divides the relevant population into two equal parts. That is, half of the relevant population will be younger than the median age and the other half will be older. The median age of the Queensland population at June 2006 was 36.0 years (35.4 for males and 36.6 for females), up from 33.3 years at June 1996 and 35.0 years at June 2001.

Among Queensland SDs, the highest median ages were recorded in Wide Bay-Burnett at 41.7 years (41.4 for males and 41.9 for females) and Sunshine Coast at 40.8 years (39.8 for males and 41.6 for females). The lowest median age was recorded in North West SD at 30.3 years (31.0 for males and 29.7 for females), which was more than three and a half years below the median age of any other SD in Queensland.

Of the SLAs with a population of 2,000 or more at June 2006, there were twelve with a median age of 45 years or more. Of this number, ten were in south-east Queensland, and Wide Bay-Burnett and Darling Downs SDs each had one. The SLA of Bribie Island recorded the highest median age in Australia of 54.5 years, which was 4.9 years higher than any other Queensland SLA.

There were 19 SLAs with a median age of less than 30 years. Ten of these were within the Brisbane SD, mostly in inner Brisbane or close to higher educational institutions. The Northern SD recorded five SLAs in this group, three of which were in Townsville (C).


CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

At June 2006, there were 834,600 people aged 0-14 years in Queensland, representing 20.4% of the state's population. Although the number of people aged 0-14 years increased by 62,000 over the five years since June 2001, the proportion of people in this age group decreased from 21.3%. In June 2006, the highest proportions of people in this age group were found in the North West and South West SDs, with 25.8% and 23.5%, respectively. The lowest proportions of people in this age group were recorded in the south-eastern SDs of Gold Coast (18.4%) and Sunshine Coast (19.3%).

Of the SLAs with a population of 2,000 or more at June 2006, three SLAs had over 30% of their population in the 0-14 year age group. These were all in the north and far north of the state - Yarrabah (S) with 37.1%, Palm Island (S) with 35.5% and Torres (S) with 31.6%. The three SLAs to have less than 5% of their population in this age group were all in inner Brisbane. Fortitude Valley and City - Inner had a respective 3.6% and 3.7% of their population in this age group and City - Remainder had 4.9%.


WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

At June 2006, the number of people aged 15-64 years was 2.76 million, or 67.5% of Queensland's population. In 2006, Brisbane SD had the highest proportion of people aged 15-64 years with 69.1%, followed by Mackay SD with 68.8%. Wide Bay-Burnett and Darling Downs SDs had the lowest proportions of people in this age group, with 62.6% and 64.2%, respectively.

Of the 16 SLAs with over 80% of their total population aged 15-64 years, 13 were located in Brisbane (C). Townsville (C) had two SLAs with greater than 80% of their population in the 15-64 year age group, and Cairns (C) had one.

Four SLAs had less than 60% of their population in the 15-64 year age group. These SLAs were in the SDs of Brisbane (Bribie Island), Wide Bay-Burnett (Monto (S)), Darling Downs (Inglewood (S)) and Northern (Hinchinbrook (S)).


OLDER PEOPLE

AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

People aged 65 years and over numbered 493,500 at June 2006, an increase of 71,300 since June 2001. The highest proportions of people in this age group occurred in the Wide Bay-Burnett SD with 16.9% and Sunshine Coast SD with 16.1%. North West and Mackay SDs recorded the lowest proportions of people in this age group, with 6.2% and 9.6%, respectively.

Of the 18 SLAs with over 20% of their population aged 65 years and over, Brisbane and Gold Coast SDs each contained six. Of the remaining six, three SLAs were in Sunshine Coast SD, while Wide Bay-Burnett and Northern SDs contained two and one, respectively. Bribie Island had over 31% of its population aged 65 years and over. No other SLAs had more than 25% of their population in this age group.

There were 19 SLAs with less than 5% of their population aged 65 years and over at June 2006. Of these, six were in Brisbane SD; Northern and Mackay SDs contained four and three, respectively; and two were in each of Far North, Gold Coast and Fitzroy SDs. Weipa (T) (Far North SD) and Palm Island (S) (Northern SD) were the only SLAs with less than 2% of their population aged 65 years and over.

AGED 85 YEARS AND OVER

At June 2006, there were 57,100 people aged 85 years and over, an increase of 12,600 people since June 2001. The proportion of the population aged 85 years and over is increasing, rising from 1.0% of the Queensland population in June 1996 to 1.2% in June 2001 and 1.4% in June 2006. The SDs with the highest proportions of their population in the 85 years and over age group were Sunshine Coast (with 1.8%), followed by Wide Bay-Burnett and Darling Downs (each with 1.7%), and Gold Coast (1.6%).

There were eight SLAs with more than 4% of their population aged 85 years and over at June 2006. Of this number, five were in the Northwest Outer Brisbane SSD. Sandgate and Chermside SLAs had the highest proportion of people in this age group at 5.7% each.


SEX RATIO

At June 2006, the sex ratio (number of males per 100 females) for Queensland was 99.7, with 2.04 million males and 2.05 million females. The sex ratio ranged from 96.5 (96.5 males per 100 females) in Sunshine Coast SD to 114.1 in North West SD. The lower sex ratio for those in the 65 years and over age group (86.1 for Queensland) reflects the longer life expectancy for females.

Between Queensland SDs, there was little variation of sex ratios in the 0-14 year age group. At June 2006, the sex ratio ranged from 108.4 in North West SD to 104.2 in West Moreton SD.

The highest sex ratios for people aged 15-64 years were recorded in the North West SD (116.5) and Mackay SD (112.5) and the lowest ratios were recorded in Sunshine Coast SD (95.8) and Wide Bay-Burnett SD (98.5).

For persons in the 65 years and over age group, the sex ratio varied widely across the state. The highest sex ratios occurred in the SDs of North West (112.6) and Central West (112.5). The lowest ratios were recorded in Brisbane (79.5) and Darling Downs SDs (83.0).

For persons aged 85 years and over, all SDs had more females than males. Central West SD (73.3) and South West SD (59.7) had the highest sex ratios while Brisbane SD (46.2) and Darling Downs SD (47.7) recorded the lowest.


ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COUNCILS

Note: This section describes the data for the 34 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Councils in Queensland. All but two of these Councils had a population of less than 2,000 as at June 2006, and therefore were excluded from discussions about SLAs in the above analyses. The populations of these areas show notable differences in age profile when compared with the Queensland population.

The median age of these LGAs at June 2006 was 23.6 (23.4 for males and 23.7 for females) compared with the median age for Queensland of 36.0 (35.4 for males and 36.6 for females).

All 34 Councils had more than one quarter of their population in the 0-14 year age group, and of these, 27 had more than 30% of their population in this age group. For Queensland, the 0-14 age group accounted for 20.4% of the population. With regard to the older population, 28 Councils had less than 5% of their population in the 65 years and over age group, while 12.1% of Queensland's population were in this age group.