NEW SOUTH WALES


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

At 30 June 2010, the estimated resident population of New South Wales (NSW) reached 7.23 million, an increase of 476,100 people (7.0%, or 1.4% per year on average) since 30 June 2005. Almost two-thirds (63.3%) of the state's population at June 2010 resided in Sydney Statistical Division (SD), a proportion that has been relatively steady since June 1996. The remainder of NSW's population was concentrated in the northern coastal SDs of Hunter (9.0% of the state), Mid-North Coast (4.3%) and Richmond-Tweed (3.4%), and Illawarra (6.0%) to the south of Sydney.

References to Local Government Areas (LGAs) in this commentary exclude those with populations of less than 2,000 at June 2010.

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

The age distribution of Sydney SD was markedly different from that of the remainder of NSW, most notably in the age groups 20 to 24 years through to 40 to 44 years. This difference was evident for both males and females. At June 2010, people aged 20 to 44 years accounted for 38.7% of the total Sydney population, compared with 30.2% of residents in the remainder of NSW. This reflects a pattern of people in these age groups moving to Sydney to pursue education and work opportunities.

Conversely, 36.2% of Sydney SD population were aged 45 years and over, compared with 44.0% of the population in the remainder of NSW.

MEDIAN AGE

Between June 2005 and June 2010, the median age of the NSW population increased from 36.6 years to 37.2 years. Reflecting their longer life expectancy, the median age for females (38.0 years) was 1.7 years higher than males (36.3) at June 2010. For almost a decade, Sydney SD has had the lowest median age of all NSW SDs (35.6 years in 2010), while Mid-North Coast has had the highest median age (44.6 years).

At June 2010, nine of the ten NSW LGAs with the youngest median ages were located within Sydney SD. Auburn (C) had the lowest median age (31.0 years), followed by Blacktown (C) (32.1), Liverpool (C) (32.3), and Campbelltown (C) (32.4), all in western or south-western Sydney. The oldest median ages within Sydney SD were in the northern LGAs of Gosford (C) (41.1), Pittwater (A) and Hunters Hill (A) (both 40.9), and Ku-ring-gai (A) (40.8).

Within the remainder of NSW, the lowest median ages were recorded in the inland regional LGAs of Wagga Wagga (C) (32.8 years), Armidale Dumaresq (A) (33.8), and Muswellbrook (A) (34.0). The coastal LGAs of Great Lakes (A) (51.1), Eurobodalla (A) (49.2) and Nambucca (A) (48.8) had the highest median ages in NSW.
CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

At June 2010, there were 1.36 million children under 15 years of age in NSW, with boys (51.2%) outnumbering girls (48.8%). In the five years to June 2010, the proportion of children under 15 years of age in NSW steadily declined from 19.7% to 18.7%. All SDs in NSW experienced a decrease in the proportion of their population aged less than 15 years during this period. In 2010, the inland North Western SD had the highest proportion of children (21.3%), while Mid-North Coast SD had the lowest (18.1%).

Within Sydney SD, the highest proportions of children continued to be recorded in the outer south-west and western LGAs of Camden (A) (23.6%), Blacktown (C) (23.0%), Liverpool (C) (22.7%) and Wollondilly (A) (22.4%).

In the remainder of NSW, areas with the highest proportion of children at June 2010 were the inland LGAs of Bourke (A) (23.8%) and Bogan (A) (23.5%) both in north-western NSW, and Hay (A) (23.0%) in the Riverina region. Only four coastal LGAs in NSW had a proportion of children greater than the state average: Shellharbour (C) (21.0%) in the Illawarra region, and the northern LGAs of Richmond Valley (A) (20.6%), Port Stephens (A) (19.1%), and Bellingen (A) (19.0%).

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

At June 2010, over two-thirds (67.2%) of the NSW population were of working age (15 to 64 years), a slight increase since June 2005 (66.9%). In 2010, Sydney was the only SD in NSW with a higher proportion of working aged people (69.0%) than the state as a whole.

Over three-quarters of LGAs within Sydney SD had a higher proportion of people aged 15 to 64 years than NSW as a whole. The eleven NSW LGAs with the highest proportions of working aged people were all in this SD. The four LGAs with the highest proportion of working aged people continued to be inner-city Sydney (C) (84.4% in 2010) and nearby North Sydney (A) (77.1%), followed by Leichhardt (A) (75.6%) and Marrickville (A) (75.2%).

In the remainder of NSW, only one-tenth of LGAs had higher proportions of working aged people than the state overall, led by Queanbeyan (C) (70.2%) which borders the Australian Capital Territory, Byron (A) on the far north coast, and Central Darling (A) in far west NSW (both with 70.0%).

PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

At June 2010, there were 1.02 million people aged 65 years and older living in NSW. Since June 2005, the proportion of people aged 65 years and older increased from 13.4% to 14.1% (110,300 people) in 2010. Mid-North Coast SD (20.4%) continued to have the highest proportion of residents aged 65 years and over in 2010, followed by Far West (18.7%) and Richmond-Tweed (18.0%). Sydney (12.3%) was the only SD with a lower proportion of people aged 65 years and over than the state as a whole.

Less than one-third of the 43 LGAs in Sydney SD exceeded the statewide proportion of people aged 65 years and over. Within Sydney SD, the LGAs of Gosford (C) (18.3%) and Wyong (A) (18.1%) on the Central Coast, and Hunters Hill (A) (18.1%) in lower northern Sydney, had the highest proportions of people aged 65 years and over.

Reflecting the older age profile of the remainder of NSW, more than three-quarters of its LGAs had higher proportions of older people than the state as a whole. Over half (58.1%) of the residents aged 65 years and over in the remainder of NSW lived in the 21 coastal LGAs (those with a boundary adjoining the sea). In 2010, as in the previous four years, the coastal LGAs of Great Lakes (A) (29.2%) in the Hunter region and Eurobodalla (A) (24.4%) in south-eastern NSW had the highest proportion of residents aged 65 and over in the state. The inland LGAs of Berrigan (A) (24.1%) in the Riverina region, and Weddin (A) (23.9%) in central western NSW also had high proportions.

SEX RATIO

At June 2010, there were 98.3 males for every 100 females in NSW, a slight increase since June 2005 (98.2). Males outnumbered females in all five-year age groups up to and including 25 to 29 years, with the highest sex ratio in the 20 to 24 year age group (105.8 males for every 100 females). There were a greater number of females than males in all remaining five-year age groups. The sex ratio rapidly decreased from the 70 to 74 year age group onwards, reflecting females' longer life expectancy.

Females outnumbered males in all but six of the 43 LGAs in Sydney SD at June 2010. Sydney (C) had the highest sex ratio (113.3), followed by Auburn (C) (107.3) and Parramatta (C) (102.5) both in western Sydney. Mosman (A) (85.0), Woollahra (A) (89.7) and Leichhardt (A) (90.7), had the three lowest sex ratios in both Sydney SD and NSW as a whole.

Around 60% of LGAs in the remainder of NSW had more males than females. Nine of the ten LGAs in the state with the highest sex ratios were inland LGAs (outside of Sydney SD), led by Walgett (A) (131.4) in north-western NSW, and Junee (A) (128.4) and Carrathool (A) (124.6) both in the Riverina region. In contrast, only two coastal LGAs had a sex ratio over 100: Kempsey (A) (102.6) and Wollongong (C) (100.3). The LGAs with the lowest sex ratios in the remainder of NSW were in Wingecarribee (A) (92.4) in the Illawarra region, Bellingen (A) (92.6) on the mid-north coast, and Coolamon (A) (93.6) in the Riverina region.