Since the turn of the 20th century the population of all ages has grown significantly, but it has also aged. This is illustrated in graph 5.18 for the years 1901 and 2001.
Since the first half of the 20th century, Australians have been having smaller families. This is reflected in a fall in the proportion of children (aged under 15 years) within the population from 35% in 1901 to 21% in 2001. Conversely, the proportion of the population aged 65 years and over has increased markedly, from 4% in 1901 to 13% in 2001. These features are shown in graph 5.19.
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