QUEENSLAND


TOTAL POPULATION

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

MEDIAN AGE

CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

SEX RATIO


TOTAL POPULATION

The estimated resident population of Queensland at 30 June 2008 was 4.29 million. From June 2003 to June 2008, the Queensland population grew by 12.7% (484,700 people) making it the fastest-growing state or territory in that period, with an average annual growth rate of 2.4%.

In June 2008 south-east Queensland, comprising the Statistical Divisions (SDs) of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and West Moreton, was home to 2.85 million people, or two-thirds of Queensland's population. This represents an increase of 333,800 people since June 2003, at an average annual growth rate of 2.5%, which was faster than that for the state as a whole and accounted for 68.9% of Queensland's total population growth in that period.

In the five years to June 2008, the two fastest-growing SDs outside of south-east Queensland were Mackay and Wide Bay-Burnett, which had population increases of 22,900 (15.8%) and 36,100 (14.9%), respectively. Central West and South West were the only SDs in which the population declined in the five years to June 2008.

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

Compared with the remainder of the state, south-east Queensland had a noticeably lower proportion of its population aged less than 15 years and a higher proportion of its population aged 20-34 years. This reflects a pattern of young adults migrating from regional areas to pursue work, education and other opportunities. More than 63% of the state's population in every five-year age group (0-4 years, 5-9 years and so on) resided in south-east Queensland.

MEDIAN AGE

In the five years to June 2008, the median age of the Queensland population increased from 35.5 years to 36.2 years. In the same five-year period, the median age of males increased to 35.6 years (up from 34.9 years in June 2003) and females to 36.9 years (up from 36.1).

Among Queensland SDs, Wide Bay-Burnett had the highest median age (41.9 years), followed by Sunshine Coast (41.0 years) and West Moreton (40.0 years). The North West SD had the lowest median age which, at 30.3 years, was more than three-and-a-half years lower than the median age of any other Queensland SD. This difference reflects the higher proportion of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island people within the North West SD.

The three Local Government Areas (LGAs) with the highest median age were spread across the state: Hinchinbrook (S) (43.8 years), a coastal LGA in the Northern SD; Blackall Tambo (R) (43.3 years), an inland LGA in the Central West SD; and Fraser Coast (R) (43.1 years), another coastal LGA in the Wide Bay-Burnett SD.

The LGAs with the lowest median ages had high proportions of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander populations, with the lowest sixteen showing median ages below 30 years and the lowest ten below 25 years. Although the order has changed slightly, the same sixteen LGAs had the lowest median ages in Queensland in June 2003. However, only five of these sixteen LGAs had populations of more than 2,000 in June 2008.

In June 2008, the LGA with the lowest median age (and more than 2,000 residents) was Yarrabah (S) with a median age of 22.0 years. Yarrabah (S) is adjacent to Cairns (R) in the Far North SD. Of the LGAs that do not have a predominantly Indigenous population, Mount Isa (C) in the North West SD had the lowest median age of 29.7.

Within Brisbane (C), which had a median age of 34.8 years, the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) with the highest median ages were Mount Ommaney and Carseldine, both at 44.1 years, and Manly (44.0). St Lucia (23.7 years) had the lowest median age.

CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

In June 2008, the proportion of the Queensland population who were children (aged 0-14 years) was 20.1%, which was the second-highest proportion in the country (following the Northern Territory at 23.8%). This had slightly decreased from June 2003, when the proportion of children in Queensland was 20.9%. In June 2008, south-east Queensland had a lower proportion of children (19.5%) than the remainder of the state (21.4%).

Following the pattern of LGAs with the lowest median age, LGAs with the highest proportions of children also had high proportions of Indigenous people. The three LGAs with the highest proportions of children (and more than 2,000 residents) were Northern Peninsula Area (R) (36.8%), Yarrabah (S) (36.6%) and Torres Strait Island (R) (35.2%).

In Mount Isa (C), 25.8% of the population were aged less than 15 years.

Within Brisbane (C) the northwest outer Brisbane SLAs of Upper Kedron (30.1%) and Moggil (27.3%) had the highest proportions of children.

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

In June 2008, over two-thirds (67.6%) of the Queensland population were of working age (15-64 years). In south-east Queensland this proportion was 68.3%, which was higher than the remainder of the state (66.2%).

Among Queensland SDs, Mackay (69.4%) and Brisbane (69.1%) had the highest proportions of working age residents.

Five LGAs (with more than 2,000 residents) had more than 70% of their population of working age: Whitsunday (R), Isaac (R), Brisbane (C), Weipa (T) and Central Highlands (R).

Within Brisbane (C), the highest percentages of people of working age were generally in inner Brisbane SLAs such as City - Remainder (91.8%) and Fortitude Valley (90.7%).

PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

In June 2008, over half a million Queenslanders (526,400 or 12.3%) were aged 65 years or older. This population was 76,200 higher than in June 2003, when the proportion of people aged 65 years and over in Queensland was 11.8%.

Among Queensland SDs, the highest proportions of people aged 65 years and over were in Wide Bay-Burnett (17.5%) and Sunshine Coast (16.5%). In the five years to June 2008, these two SDs also had the second- and third-fastest growth in this age bracket. The only SD to grow faster in this age bracket was West Moreton, which now has 14.1% of its population aged 65 years or older (12.8% in June 2003).

The two LGAs with the highest proportions of their populations aged 65 years and over were on the coast: Hinchinbrook (S) (20.1%), which is between Cairns and Townsville; and Fraser Coast (R) (18.9%), which is north of Noosa.

The four LGAs with the lowest proportions of people aged 65 years and over (and more than 2,000 residents) were Weipa (T) (1.8%), Palm Island (S) (1.9%), Yarrabah (S) (3.1%), and Isaac (R) (3.8%). Palm Island (S) and Yarrabah (S) are Aboriginal Shire Councils (located in the Northern and Far North SDs respectively), while Weipa (T) and Isaac (R) are predominantly mining areas (in the Far North and Mackay SDs).

SEX RATIO

In the five years to June 2008, the sex ratio (number of males per 100 females) for Queensland increased from 99.3 to 99.9. In June 2008, the sex ratio for south-east Queensland (98.2) was noticeably lower than that of the remainder of the state (103.2).

In June 2008, Queensland had more males than females in each five-year age group from 0 to 29 years. This changed for the 30 to 54 year age group, where females out-numbered males, and then swapped back for the five-year age groups from 55 to 69. In the older population (those aged 70 years or more) females out-numbered males, reflecting the longer life expectancy of women.

The LGA with the highest sex ratio (and more than 2,000 residents) was Isaac (R) (126.8), an LGA in the Mackay SD with long-established agricultural and mining industries. This was followed by the mining town of Weipa (T) in the Far North SD, with a sex ratio of 123.3.

The three LGAs with the lowest sex ratios (and more than 2,000 residents) were Northern Peninsula Area (R) (89.6), Yarrabah (S) (96.0) and Palm Island (S) (96.3).

Among the LGAs that do not have a predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population the lowest sex ratios were in Sunshine Coast (R) (96.4), Blackall Tambo (R) (96.5) and Toowoomba (R) (96.9).

The three SLAs with the lowest sex ratios (and more than 2,000 residents) were all in Brisbane (C): Albion (80.2), Mount Ommaney (83.0) and Taigum-Fitzgibbon (83.6).