3235.3.55.001 - Population by Age and Sex, Queensland, Jun 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/06/2004   
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY, Statistical Divisions, Queensland

Estimated Resident Population 2003p

Estimated Resident Population
Population Change (%)
Proportion in Age groups
(%)



2002
2003p
2002-2003
0-14
15-64
65
and over
Median
Age

Statistical Division
Brisbane
1 690 541
1 732 978
2.5
20.3
66.8
10.9
34.5
Moreton
748 604
774 553
3.5
19.3
66.2
14.4
38.5
Wide Bay-Burnett
239 992
244 537
1.9
21.0
62.9
16.1
40.3
Darling Downs
213 161
215 587
1.1
22.1
64.6
13.3
35.5
South West
27 015
27 002
0.0
24.1
65.0
10.8
34.3
Fitzroy
183 521
185 120
0.9
23.2
66.4
10.5
34.2
Central West
12 564
12 363
-1.6
22.5
66.0
11.4
34.7
Mackay
139 790
141 548
1.3
22.6
67.7
9.7
35.0
Northern
194 162
197 363
1.6
22.1
68.0
9.9
32.7
Far North
227 537
231 219
1.6
22.6
67.7
9.7
34.4
North West
34 085
33 974
-0.3
26.2
67.5
6.3
30.3
Queensland
3 710 972
3 796 244
2.3
20.8
67.3
11.9
35.5

p preliminary estimated resident population, based on 2001 Census.


POPULATION

The preliminary estimate of the resident population of Queensland at June 2003 was 3.8 million, an increase of 85,272 persons since June 2002 and an increase of 348,519 persons over the five years since June 1998. Queensland continues to be Australia's fastest growing State or Territory with an average growth rate of 1.9% per year during the period 1998 to 2003. Queensland's growth resulted from net interstate migration of 39,207 persons, net overseas migration of 22,813 persons and natural increase of 23,252 persons.


POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND CHANGE

Queensland's population is concentrated in the south-eastern corner of the State in the Statistical Divisions (SDs) of Brisbane and Moreton, which have 45.6% and 20.4%, respectively, of the population. The growth in the proportion of the Queensland population living in this south-east region continues to increase steadily, from 64.6% in 1998 to 66.1% in 2003. The mainly pastoral areas in the west of the State are sparsely populated, with the North West, South West and Central West SDs collectively containing only 1.9% of the State's population.

The south-east corner of Queensland (the Brisbane and Moreton SDs) experienced an increase of 68,386 persons in the year to June 2003, accounting for four-fifths (80.2%) of Queensland's growth for the period. Low to moderate growth was recorded in most of the remaining SDs in Queensland in 2002-2003 with Wide Bay-Burnett, Far North and Northern SDs recording increases of 4,545 (5.3%), 3,682 (4.3%) and 3,201 (3.8%) persons, respectively. During this period, Central West, North West and South West SDs recorded small declines of 201, 111 and 13 persons, respectively.

The two most populous Local Government Areas in Queensland, the cities of Brisbane and Gold Coast, experienced the largest increases in population in 2002-03. Brisbane (C), with a population of 938,251 persons, increased by 20,675 persons (or 2.3%), and Gold Coast (C), with a population of 455,409 persons, increased by 16,035 persons (or 3.6%).

Growth within the City of Brisbane continued to occur predominantly in new housing estates in the fringe Statistical Local Areas (SLAs), particularly in the south.


MEDIAN AGE

The median age is that age which divides the relevant population into two equal parts. That is, half of the relevant population will be younger than the median age and the other half will be older. Consistent with the national trend, the population of Queensland is continuing to age. The median age of the Queensland population at 30 June 2003 was 35.5 years (34.9 for males and 36.1 for females).

Within Queensland, Wide Bay-Burnett SD at 40.3 years (40.0 for males and 40.6 for females) and Moreton SD at 38.5 years (37.7 for males and 39.2 for females) had the highest median ages, both well above the median age for the whole of Queensland, while the SD recording the lowest median age was North West at 30.3 years (31.0 males and 29.5 females), which was more than two years below any other SD in Queensland.


DEPENDENCY RATIO

The dependency ratio is the number of children aged 0-14 years and persons aged 65 years and over per 100 persons aged 15-64 years. A reduced value for the dependency ratio indicates that there is a larger population of working age to support the population of non-working age. The dependency ratio for Queensland was 48.5 in 2003, a decrease from 48.9 in 2002. Queensland had a lower dependency ratio at June 2003 than for the whole of Australia (48.8).

In Queensland in 2003, the Brisbane and Northern SDs recorded the lowest dependency ratios with 45.4 and 47.0, respectively. Wide Bay-Burnett (59.0) and Darling Downs (54.8) continued to record the highest dependency ratios. This is partly a reflection of the older profile of the population in these SDs.


POPULATION AGED 0-14

In June 2003, there were 789,241 children aged 0-14 years in Queensland, representing 20.8% of the state's population. Although the number of children has increased by 42,296 over the five years since June 1998, the proportion of children has decreased, from 21.7% of Queensland's population in 1998. The proportion of children decreased in all SDs over this period.

In 2003, the lowest proportions of children were recorded in the Moreton (19.3%) and Brisbane (20.3%) SDs. The highest proportions of children were found in the North West and South West SDs with 26.2% and 24.1%, respectively. The SLAs with the highest proportions of children were New Mapoon (Aboriginal Council) and Boigu (Island Council), recording 44.4% and 43.1%, respectively, while Broadbeach, Fortitude Valley-Inner and New Farm recorded the lowest proportions of children at 5.7%, 6.4% and 6.5%, respectively.


POPULATION AGED 15-64 YEARS

The population aged 15-64 years (the working age group) was estimated to be 2,556,364 persons, or 67.3% of the population of Queensland at 30 June 2003, marginally higher than the 1998 figure of 2,309,608 persons (67.0%). In 2003, Brisbane SD had the highest proportion of its population in the 15-64 age group (68.8%), followed by Northern (68.0%), while Wide Bay-Burnett and Darling Downs recorded the lowest proportions, 62.9% and 64.6% respectively.


AGED PERSONS

Persons aged 65 years or more numbered 450,639 in 2003, an increase of 59,467 persons since 1998. The proportion of aged persons increased from 11.3% in 1998 to 11.9% in 2003. All the SDs experienced an increase in the proportion of persons aged 65 years or more for the period June 1998 to June 2003.

In 2003, the highest proportions of aged persons occurred in the Wide Bay-Burnett and Moreton SDs, 16.1% and 14.4%, respectively, while the Brisbane SD recorded 10.9%. The lowest proportions of persons aged 65 years or more occurred in North West (6.3%) and Mackay and Far North SDs (9.7% each).

Persons aged 85 years or more numbered 49,406, an increase of 11,714 persons since 1998. The proportion of the population aged 85 years and over is increasing, rising from 1.1% of the Queensland population in 1998 to 1.3% in 2003. The Statistical Divisions with the highest proportion of their population in the 85 years and over age group were Wide Bay-Burnett (1.7%) and Darling Downs (1.6%), followed by Moreton (1.4%) and Brisbane (1.3%).