TASMANIA


TOTAL POPULATION

At 30 June 2007 the estimated resident population of Tasmania was 493,400, increasing by 3,400 (0.7%) since 30 June 2006. Over the five years from 2002 to 2007 the average annual rate of change of the population of Tasmania was 0.9%. Nearly 80% of Tasmania's population was concentrated in the urban areas of Greater Hobart Statistical Division (SD), Greater Launceston Statistical Subdivision (SSD) and Burnie-Devonport SSD.

All Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Tasmania had steady or increasing populations in the year to 30 June 2007. The fastest-growing LGAs were Brighton (M) (3.2%), Sorell (M) (2.5%) and Latrobe (M) (2.1%).


AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

Tasmania's age distribution is characterised by a lower proportion of people aged 20 to 44 years compared with Australia as a whole, as a result of a net outflow of young people leaving Tasmania for interstate to pursue education and employment opportunities. Tasmania also has a proportionately higher number of people aged 65 years and over when compared with Australia. This is partly reflective of the trend of older adults moving to Tasmania.

Greater Hobart SD had higher proportions of people aged 0-4 years, 15-39 years and 80 years or more when compared with the remainder of the state.

MEDIAN AGE

Tasmania's ageing population resulted in the state having the highest median age in Australia - 39.1 years. At June 2007 the median age of Tasmanian males was 38.3 years and females was 40.0 years.

Median ages in SDs ranged from 38.1 years in Greater Hobart to 42.5 years in the Southern SD. Of LGAs with more than 2,000 people, those with the highest median ages were the eastern LGAs of Glamorgan/Spring Bay (50.0 years) and Tasman (47.9). Those with the lowest median ages were Brighton (31.1 years), within the Greater Hobart SD, and Circular Head (36.6) on the north-west tip of the state.


CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

There were 96,500 children aged 0 to 14 years in Tasmania in June 2007, making up 19.6% of the population, which was similar to the proportion of Australia's population in that age group (19.4%).

Of LGAs with more than 2,000 people, those with the highest proportions of children were Brighton (M) (27.5%), Circular Head (M) (23.2%) and George Town (M) (22.2%). The lowest proportions were in Hobart (C) (14.4%), Glamorgan/Spring Bay (M) (15.8%) and Tasman (M) (16.2%).

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15 - 64 YEARS)

In 2007 Tasmania had a lower proportion of people of working age than the other states and territories. There were 323,800 people aged 15 to 64 years making up 65.6% of the population.

Greater Hobart SD had 138,300 people (66.7% of its population) aged 15 to 64 years, Southern SD had 24,000 (65.9%), Northern had 91,000 (65.2%) and Mersey-Lyell had 70,500 people (64.0%).

The LGAs with the highest proportions of people aged 15 to 64 years were Hobart (C) (72.0%), West Coast (M) (67.1%) and Central Highlands (67.0%). The lowest proportions were in Devonport (C) (62.9%), Dorset (M) (63.0%) and Break O'Day (M) (63.2%).


PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

Tasmania had the second-highest proportion of people aged 65 years and over (14.8% or 73,000 people) in June 2007, after South Australia (15.2%).

In Tasmania, there are proportionally more people aged 65 years and over in the coastal areas of the east and north. Glamorgan/Spring Bay (M) (20.8%), Break O'Day (M) (18.2%) and Devonport (M) (17.3%) were the local government areas with the highest proportions of people aged 65 years and over. Those with the lowest were Brighton (M) (7.1%), West Coast (M) (11.3%) and Southern Midlands (M) (11.4%).

SEX RATIO

At 30 June 2007 the population of Tasmania consisted of 243,300 males and 250,000 females, a ratio of 97.3 males per 100 females. While there were more females than males in the urban areas, the opposite was true in the rest of the state. Greater Hobart SD, Greater Launceston SSD and Burnie-Devonport SSD had sex ratios of 94.6, 95.7 and 95.2 respectively, while sex ratios in the other SSDs ranged from 103.7 in North Eastern SSD to 113.4 in Lyell SSD.

Among LGAs with more than 2,000 people, the highest sex ratio was in West Coast (M) with 113.4 males per 100 females and the lowest was in Glenorchy (C) with 92.3 males per 100 females.

The highest age-specific sex ratio was for the 0-4 year age group with 107.2 males per 100 females. Males continue to outnumber females up to and including the 20-24 year age group. Apart from a fairly even sex ratio for the 60-64 year age group (100.4 males per 100 females), females outnumbered males for all other age groups.