MEDIA RELEASE
24 May 2012	Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	71/2012

The 92^nd edition of the ABS Year Book Australia is full of interesting and relevant Australian statistical stories.

Did you know...

• In support of the National Year of Reading, the ABS found that almost half (46%) of Australians aged 15 and over did not meet the minimum literacy skills required to confidently read a newspaper, follow a recipe or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle.

• Lucky we have our farmers. The ABS found that according to population projections, food production worldwide will need to increase by 70% by 2050.

• In recognition of the International Year of the Co-operative, we found over one billion people are members of co-operatives worldwide and those co-operatives provide over 100 million jobs around the world.

• In our new chapter called Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people we look at their health, culture, and education. We found that 50,100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged three years and over spoke an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language as their main language at home

• Over the last 50 years the proportion of the population in older age groups has increased while the proportion in younger age groups has declined.

• In 2009–10, the mean value of household assets was $839,000 (table 9.9). The mean value of household liabilities was $120,000, resulting in average household net worth of $720,000.

• Life expectancy of Australian females (84.0 years) was exceeded by Japan, Hong Kong (SAR of China), France and Switzerland.

• In, 2009–10, approximately 52% of Australia’s total land area was used for agriculture and there were 134,000 businesses undertaking agricultural activity.

For this and more check out our Australian Year Book for free at https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/1301.0 or hard copies can be purchased for $50 each (including postage and handling) from the website or by calling 1300 135 070.

Media note:
When reporting ABS data the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.