WESTERN AUSTRALIA


TOTAL POPULATION

At June 2014, the estimated resident population of Western Australia (WA) was 2.6 million people. WA's population increased by 333,100 people, or 15%, in the five years to 2014. This was the fastest growth of all states and territories.

Over three quarters (79%) of the state’s population resided in Greater Perth in 2014. In the five years to 2014, the population in Greater Perth increased by 281,900 to reach 2.0 million. Over the same period, the rest of WA increased by 51,300 people to reach 552,200.

The population of each SA3 in WA grew between 2009 and 2014. The fastest-growing SA3s were Serpentine - Jarrahdale (up by 38%), Armadale (33%), and Kwinana (29%), all located in Greater Perth.


AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

In 2014, Greater Perth had a lower proportion of its population aged less than 15 years and a higher proportion aged 15 to 34 years compared with the rest of WA. This is consistent with young adults moving to the capital city for employment or education purposes.

The rest of WA had a higher proportion of 35 to 74 year-olds compared with Greater Perth.



Differences in the age distribution of Greater Perth and the rest of WA were evident for both sexes, and were largest for people aged 20 to 24 years. Females in this age group comprised 3.7% of the population in Greater Perth compared with 2.7% in the rest of WA. Similarly, males aged 20 to 24 years comprised 3.9% of the population in Greater Perth compared with 3.1% in the rest of WA.

There were more than four times the number of people aged 20 to 24 years in Greater Perth than in the rest of WA. Within Greater Perth, there were 4,000 more males than females aged 20 to 24 years.


MEDIAN AGE

WA had a median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of 35.8 years at June 2014. Females had a higher median age (36.5 years) than males (35.1). The median age of Greater Perth residents (35.4 years) was lower than for the rest of WA (37.2). Between 2009 and 2014, Greater Perth was the only capital city where median age decreased, down by 0.7 years.

The SA2s with the highest median ages in WA were the popular retirement and sea-change/tree-change locations of York - Beverley (49.3 years) in the northern wheat belt, and Mandurah - East and Mandurah - South (both 48.7).

Roebuck (28.0 years) in the state’s far north, and Seville Grove (28.7) and Clarkson (29.1) in Greater Perth, had the lowest median ages in the state.


CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

At June 2014, there were 491,300 people under 15 years of age, accounting for almost one fifth of the state’s population (19%). This was similar in both Greater Perth and the rest of WA.

The SA2s with the highest proportions of children were Gelorup - Dalyellup - Stratham in south-west WA, Roebuck in the state's north, and Ellenbrook in Greater Perth, each at 28%.

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

Just over two thirds of WA’s population (or 1.8 million people) were aged between 15 and 64 years in June 2014.

The SA2 with the highest proportion of people of working age was East Pilbara (90%), which is located in the state’s north and is the focus of much of WA’s mining activity. With the exception of Perth City (86%), the SA2s with the next highest proportions were Ashburton and Roebourne (both 84%), also located in the state's north.

PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

There were 327,400 people aged 65 years and over in WA at June 2014, representing 13% of the state’s population. Almost four fifths (79%) of people aged 65 years and over lived in Greater Perth.

Mandurah - South was the SA2 with the highest proportion of people aged 65 years and over in WA, at 28%. The adjoining SA2s of Mandurah - East (24%) and Greenfields (23%) also had high proportions. Outside of Greater Perth, Albany in the state's south had the highest proportion (23%).


SEX RATIO

At June 2014, the sex ratio (the number of males per 100 females) in WA was 102.4, with 1.30 million males and 1.27 million females. This was the second highest sex ratio of all states and territories, behind the Northern Territory at 112.2 (the only other state or territory where males outnumbered females).

The SA2 with the highest sex ratio in Australia was East Pilbara (349.3) in WA's northern mining region. Other SA2s in WA with sex ratios above 170.0 included Roebourne, Ashburton, Meekatharra, Leinster - Leonora and Murray, which are all located in areas of significant mining activity in regional WA, and Casuarina - Wellard (East) and Chidlow, which both contain large male prison facilities.

Within Greater Perth, the SA2s with the lowest sex ratios were Mosman Park - Peppermint Grove (84.6), Bicton - Palmyra (90.4), Mandurah - South (90.5), and Claremont (90.7). Outside of Greater Perth, Albany, located in WA’s south, had the lowest sex ratio at 87.7, followed by Busselton (89.8) in the state's south-west, and Geraldton (90.5) in the mid-west.