3235.1.55.001 - Population by Age and Sex, New South Wales, Jun 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 14/08/2003   
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AGE DISTRIBUTION

At 30 June 2002, the estimated resident population of NSW was 6,640,000. There were 3,297,000 males and 3,343,000 females. This was an increase of 32,800 males and 32,300 females since 30 June 2001. In 2002, approximately 20.1% of the NSW population was aged 0-14 years, 66.7% was aged 15-64 years and a further 13.2% was aged 65 years and over. This has changed slightly from 2001 when 20.4% were aged 0-14 years, 66.5% were aged 15-64 years and 13.1% were aged 65 years and over.

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. The median age of the NSW population at 30 June 2002 was 36.1 years; 35.4 years for males and 36.9 years for females. Since 2001, the median age of males and females has increased by 0.2 years and 0.3 years respectively.

At 30 June 2002, the Mid-North Coast Statistical Division (SD) had the highest median ages (40.8 years for males and 41.8 years for females), while Murrumbidgee SD had the lowest median age for males (34.2 years) and the Sydney SD had the lowest median age for females (35.7 years). In 2001, the median ages for both males and females were also highest in the Mid-North Coast SD (at 40.5 years and 41.5 years respectively) and lowest in the Murrumbidgee SD (at 33.9 years and 35.5 years respectively).

At 30 June 2002, the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) with the highest median ages for females were Great Lakes (A) (48.5 years), Barraba (A) (48.1 years) and Bingara (47.1 years). The highest median ages for males occurred in Great Lakes (A) (46.9 years), Bingara (A) (46.1 years), Maclean (A), Eurobodalla (A) and Nundle (A) (all 44.9 years). SLAs with the lowest median age for females were Sydney (C) - Remainder (28.8 years), Bourke (A) (30.0 years) and Brewarrina (A) (30.3 years). SLAs with the lowest median age for males were Blacktown (C) - South West (29.3 years), Armidale Dumaresq (A) - City (29.3 years), and Campbelltown (29.7 years).

POPULATION AGED 0-14 YEARS

In June 2002, there were 1,338,000 children aged 0–14 years in NSW, representing 20.1% of the state's population. The proportion of children aged 0-14 years declined in all SDs between 2001 and 2002. In June 2002, Sydney SD had the lowest proportion of children (19.5%) in NSW. Within Sydney SD, the SLAs with the lowest proportions of children were Sydney (C) - Inner (7.7%), South Sydney (C) (8.6%), Sydney (C) - Remainder (8.8%), North Sydney (9.6%) and Leichhardt (12.4%). The SLAs within Sydney SD with the highest proportions of children were Blacktown (C) - South-West (27.7%), Camden (A) (25.7%), Campbelltown (C) (25.1%), Wollondilly (24.7%) and Liverpool (24.5%).

Outside Sydney, all SDs had a higher proportion of children than NSW as a whole. The SLAs outside of Sydney with the highest proportions of children were Brewarrina (A) (28.6%), Bourke (A) (27.9%), Cobar (A) (25.9%), Coonamble (A) (25.6%) and Dubbo (C) - Part A (24.8%). The SLAs with the lowest proportions of children aged 0-14 years were Newcastle (C) - Inner (8.7%), Barraba (A) (16.9%), Great Lakes (A) (17.3%), and Lord Howe Island (17.4%).

PROPORTION OF POPULATION AGED 0-14 YEARS - At 30 June
Graph- Proportion of Population Aged 0-14 Years - At 30 June

POPULATION AGED 15-64 YEARS

Persons aged 15-64 years (the working age group) made up 66.7% of the resident population of NSW. Between 2001 and 2002, the SDs of Richmond-Tweed, Murrumbidgee and Sydney experienced greater increases in the proportion of their populations aged 15-64 years than other areas.

In Sydney SD, persons aged 15-64 years made up 68.5% of the population in June 2002. In all other SDs however, the proportion of the population in this age group was lower than the NSW level. Within the Sydney SD, the SLAs with the lowest proportions in this age group were Wyong (A) (60.6%), Gosford (C) (62.0%), Ku-ring-gai (A) (64.7%), Bankstown (A) (64.7%) and Hunter's Hill (C) (65.3%). The SLAs with the highest proportions in this age group were Sydney (C) - Remainder (84.4%), Sydney (C) - Inner (82.5%), South Sydney (A) (81.6%), North Sydney (A) (78.8%) and Leichhardt (A) (77.9%).

In Sydney SD, the highest proportion of males in the working age group were clustered in inner city SLAs. These SLAs included Sydney (C) - Inner (46.4%), South Sydney (C) (45.5%) and Sydney (C) - Remainder (45.0%). The lowest proportions of males in the working age group occurred in Wyong (A) (29.7%), Gosford (C) (30.6%) and Ku-ring-gai (A) (31.4%). In Sydney SD, the SLAs with the highest proportions of females in the working age group were North Sydney (A) (40.7%), Leichhardt (40.3%) and Sydney (C) - Remainder (39.4%). The SLAs with the lowest proportions of females were Hunter's Hill (A) (30.8%), Wyong (A) (30.9%) and Gosford (C) (31.3%).

Outside Sydney SD, the SLAs with the lowest proportions of persons aged 15–64 years were Tweed (A) - Pt A (57.0%), Great Lakes (A) (57.3%), Maclean (A) (58.1%), Hastings (A) - Pt A (58.2%), and Shoalhaven (C) - Pt B (58.4%). The SLAs with the highest proportions of persons aged 15–64 years, outside Sydney SD, were Newcastle (C) - Inner (79.1%), Unincorporated Far West (74.0%), Yarrowlumla (A) - Pt B (71.7%), Yarrowlumla (A) - Pt A (70.9%) and Snowy River (A) (70.3%).

PROPORTION OF POPULATION AGED 15-64 YEARS - At 30 June
Graph- Proportion of Population Aged 15-64 Years - At 30 June

POPULATION AGED 65 AND OVER

The total number of persons aged 65 years and over increased from 858,100 in 2001 to 874,600 in 2002 (an increase of 16,500). At 30 June 2002, there were 488,200 females and 386,400 males aged 65 years and over in NSW. The proportion of the population aged 65 years and over has increased from 13.1% in 2001 to 13.2% in 2002.

Of all SDs in NSW, Mid-North Coast (18.3%), Richmond-Tweed (17.3%) and Far West (16.7%) had the highest proportions of persons aged 65 years and over in 2002. These SDs also had the highest proportions of persons aged 65 years and over in 2001. The SLAs with the highest proportions of persons aged 65 and over outside Sydney SD were Tweed (A) - Pt A (25.5%), Great Lakes (A) (25.4%) and Bingara (A) (22.9%). Of all SLAs with 20% or more of their population aged 65 years and over, eight were located on the coast and three were located in inland NSW.

In 2002, Sydney SD had the lowest proportion of persons aged 65 years and over (11.9%) in NSW. North Western SD had the second lowest proportion of the population aged 65 years and over (12.8%), an increase from 12.5% in 2001. In Murrumbidgee SD, 13.2% of the population was aged 65 years and over in 2002, up from 12.9% in 2001. Within Sydney SD the SLAs with the lowest proportions of population aged 65 years and over were Blacktown (A) - North (6.0%), Blacktown (A) - South-West (6.2%), Campbelltown (C) (6.5%) and Sydney (C) - Remainder (6.7%). Of the ten SLAs with the lowest proportions of their population aged 65 years and over, eight were in Sydney SD and two were in inland SDs. These were Yarrowlumla (A) - Pt A (6.5%) and Unincorporated Far West (8.2%).

PROPORTION OF POPULATION AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER - At 30 June
Graph- Proportion of Population Aged 65 Years and Over - At 30 June

SEX RATIO

At 30 June 2002, there were 98.6 males for every 100 females in NSW. This was the same as the sex ratio in 2001. The sex ratio was highest in 2002 in the 0-14 year age group, with 105.3 males for every 100 females. However as age increased, the sex ratio decreased. The ratio of males to females was almost even for those aged 15-64 years (100.9). However, for the age group 65 years and over the sex ratio was 79.1.

North Western SD had the highest sex ratio of all SDs in NSW at 102.2 males for every 100 females. In Sydney SD there were 98.2 males for every 100 females. The lowest sex ratios were in Richmond-Tweed and Mid-North Coast SDs where there were 97.3 males for every 100 females. There were also more females than males in Hunter SD (98.5), Illawarra SD (99.1) and Northern SD (99.4).

MALES PER 100 FEMALES, By Age - 2002
Graph- Males Per 100 Females, By Age - 2002