1300.1 - New South Wales Year Book, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/05/2003   
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MEDIA RELEASE

May 20, 2003
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
48/2003
New South Wales Year Book released today

REVISED MEDIA RELEASE: The data for full-time students enrolled in government schools has been corrected to 755,000 and not 370,000 as first published.


A wide range of statistics about New South Wales were released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The 2003 edition of the New South Wales Year Book features many aspects of life including environment, health, education and training, and communication and information technology.

Information sourced from both the ABS and other organisations is presented in easily accessed and understood text, tables and graphs. This gives a thorough picture of the state's economic and social activity.

The Year Book is an easy to use reference document which is a good source of material for inclusion in reports, speeches and other occasions. Students, analysts, commentators and decision-makers will benefit from using this comprehensive reference.


Brief highlights on New South Wales:
  • At the 2001 Census, the population was enumerated at 6,371,745 people, an increase of 5.5% since the 1996 Census. Sydney's population grew 6.8% over the same period, to 3,997,321.
  • 119,865 people reported being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) origin at the 2001 Census. This was an increase of 18% from the 1996 Census.
  • The crude marriage rate in 2001 was 5.5 marriages per 1,000 population, the lowest rate on record.
  • In 2001, 28% of births were exnuptial (outside marriage), compared with 22% in 1991 and 13% in 1981.
  • 1.1 million full-time students were enrolled in the school system in 2001. Of these, 755,000 were in government schools.
  • In 2001, 76% of people reported that they had a long-term health condition, with the most common conditions being eyesight disorders. However, 82% of people aged 15 years and over reported that their health was good, very good or excellent, and only 5% reported poor health.
  • In 2001, 11% of households were victims of break and enter, attempted break and enter or motor vehicle theft.
  • On the day of the 2001 Census, 73% of workers travelled to work by car only, 7% travelled by train only and 4% travelled by bus only.
  • In the week preceding the 2001 Census, 43% of people used a home computer and 38% used the Internet.
  • Between March 1999 and March 2002, the number of households with airconditioners increased by 63%, the number with computers increased by 41% and the number with dishwashers increased by 23%.
  • In 2000-01, the NSW Government provided $477m of funding to sport and recreation and $665m of funding to cultural activities (heritage and the arts).
  • In 2000-01, the income from clubs was $4.5b and the income from pubs, taverns and bars was $2.7b. The net taking from gambling was $1,154 per adult head of population.


Further details can be found in the New South Wales Year Book 2003 (cat. no. 1300.1).