WESTERN AUSTRALIA


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 Western Australia (WA) was 2.29 million. This was an increase of 276,400 (13.7%) since 2005. Almost three-quarters (74.0%) of the state's population resided in Perth Statistical Division (SD) in June 2010, increasing by 210,200 people since June 2005.

The population of each SD in WA grew in the five years to 2010. South West SD had the fastest growth, increasing by 18.8%, followed by Perth SD (14.1%) and Pilbara SD (13.7%).

Nearly one-half of WA's 139 Local Government Areas (LGAs) had fewer than 2,000 residents at June 2010. This summary excludes specific reference to such LGAs.

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

At June 2010, Perth SD had a lower proportion of its population aged less than 17 years and a higher proportion aged 17 to 36 years as compared to the remainder of the state. This is indicative of young adults moving to the capital city for employment or education purposes.

The difference between the age distributions for Perth SD and the remainder of WA was evident for both sexes. The difference was most evident for people aged 20 to 24 years. For this age group, females comprised 3.8% of the Perth SD population compared with 2.8% in the remainder of the state, while males comprised 4.2% of the capital city compared with 3.1% in the remainder of the state.

The total population aged 20 to 24 years in Perth SD was nearly four times greater than that of the remainder of the state. Males aged 20 to 24 years within this SD outnumbered females in this age group by 6,500.

MEDIAN AGE

WA had a median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of 36.2 years at June 2010. Females had a higher median age (37.0 years) than males (35.4 years). The median age of people living in Perth SD (35.8 years) was lower than for people living in the remainder of WA (37.3 years). For the LGA of Perth (C) the median age was younger again at 32.8 years.

The LGAs with the highest median ages in WA were the popular retirement and sea-change/tree-change locations of Denmark (S) (47.1 years) and Bridgetown-Greenbushes (S) (46.0) in South West SD, and York (S) (45.2) and Toodyay (S) (44.4) in the western regions of Midlands SD. Murray (S) and Mandurah (S), other popular retirement destinations to the south of Perth SD, also had high median ages (43.6 and 43.5 respectively).

Halls Creek (S) (27.0 years), Derby-West Kimberley (S) (29.5) and Wyndham-East Kimberley (S) (30.0), all located in the state's far north, had the lowest median ages in the state.

CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

At June 2010, there were 445,800 people aged 0 to 14 years, accounting for about one-fifth of the state's population. The LGAs with the largest proportions of children were Halls Creek (S) (29.0%), Ashburton (S) (27.3%) and Derby-West Kimberley (S) (26.7%), all located in the north of the state, and Capel (S) (26.6%) located in the south-west.

All other LGAs had less than one-quarter of their populations aged under 15 years.

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

Just over two-thirds of WA's population (or 1.57 million people) were aged between 15 and 64 years in June 2010.

The LGA with the highest proportion of its population of working age was inner-city Perth (C) (85.2%), followed by the neighbouring Vincent (T) (76.2%) and Subiaco (C) (75.1%). Outside of Perth SD, East Pilbara (S), which is the focus of much of the state's resource activity, had the highest proportion of its population of working age (74.7%).
PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

There were 276,700 people aged 65 years and over in WA, representing 12.1% of the state's population at June 2010. Of this group, 34,000 were aged 85 years and over. Close to three-quarters (72.7%) of people aged 65 years and over lived in Perth SD.

Mandurah (C), had the state's highest proportion of people aged 65 years and over at 21.2%. Of the 14,900 people in Mandurah (C) aged 65 years and over, 1,500 (just under ten percent) were aged 85 years and over. Claremont (T), a leafy western suburb in Perth SD, and Murray (S), which adjoins Mandurah in South West SD, also had high proportions of their populations aged 65 years and over (20.8% and 18.3% respectively).

SEX RATIO

At June 2010, the sex ratio (the number of males per 100 females) in WA was 102.9, with 1.16 million males and 1.13 million females. WA's sex ratio has gradually increased from 101.4 in 2005. In 2010, WA had the second highest ratio of males per 100 females of all states and territories behind the Northern Territory (107.7).

The LGA in WA with the highest sex ratio was the mining town of Ravensthorpe (S) (171.9), which was also the highest in Australia. Other LGAs with sex ratios of over 120.0 included East Pilbara (S), Ashburton (S), Coolgardie (S), Port Hedland (T) and Roebourne (S). All of these are located in regional WA and are centres of significant resource activity. Perth (C), also with high engagement in the mining industry, was the only LGA in Perth SD with a sex ratio above 120.0 at 129.0.

Across the state, more than ten LGAs had more females than males in their populations. Of these, the lowest sex ratios were in Perth SD in the LGAs of Mosman Park (T) (86.7), Claremont (T) (92.8) and Melville (C) (93.7). Other LGAs with low sex ratios in Perth SD included Cottesloe (T), Nedlands (C), Bassendean (T), Stirling (C), Cambridge (T) and Subiaco (C).

The town of Narrogin (T) in Upper Great Southern SD had a sex ratio of 95.0, while Mandurah (C) in South West SD had a sex ratio of 99.8. These were the only two LGAs outside Perth SD with fewer males than females.