1345.4 - SA Stats, Jul 2007  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/07/2007   
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South Australia's big picture: Census highlights the changes in South Australian society

On 27 June 2007, first release data from the 2006 Census of Population and Housing became available to all Australians via the ABS website. This release includes a vast amount of important information about our nation. Over the next 12 months, more information from the 2006 Census will progressively become available.

Following the release of the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, SA Stats will be featuring articles on South Australia's demographic, social and economic characteristics based on the latest Census data. These articles will be published in addition to the usual SA Stats articles released in non-quarterly months.

This first article highlights changes in South Australia's population and household structure over a 10 year period from the 1996 Census. Key findings include:

  • South Australia's population is becoming older, with the median age increasing from 35 years in 1996 to 39 in 2006.
  • South Australian households were less likely to own their own home outright, with 34% fully owned in 2006 compared to 40% in the 1996 Census.
  • There are 97 males for every 100 females in South Australia.
  • English, Italian and Greek were the most common languages spoken in South Australian homes.
  • South Australia recorded the highest proportion of lone person households across the country.
  • The median monthly home loan repayment in South Australia was the second lowest in the country.

The figures in this article exclude overseas visitors. Where an answer to a question has not been provided (i.e. not stated) these occurrences form a separate category in the data and therefore some percentages do not total to 100%.

Age
The median age of South Australians was 39 years in 2006, compared to 37 years for all Australians. In 2006, South Australia and Tasmania had the oldest median age (both 39 years) of all states and territories, while the Northern Territory had the youngest median age (31 years). The median age of South Australians has increased from 35 years in 1996 to 39 years in 2006. While the median age increased in all states and territories between 1996 and 2006, the largest increase was recorded for Tasmania where the median age rose by 5 years (from 34 to 39).

MEDIAN AGE, State and Territories

Graph: Median Age, State and Territories
Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2006


In 2006, the proportion of the population aged 65 years and over in South Australia was 15%, compared to 13% for Australia. South Australia and Tasmania had the highest proportion of the population in this age group (both 15%), while the Northern Territory had the lowest (5%). The number of South Australians aged 65 years and over increased by 35,445 between 1996 and 2006. Proportionally, South Australians aged 65 years and over represented 14% of South Australia's population in 1996 and 15% in 2006. Over this period, Tasmania (from 12% to 15%) and the Australian Capital Territory (from 7% to 10%) recorded the largest proportional increase in this age group.

The proportion of the South Australian population aged 0 to 14 years in 2006 was 19%. Nationally, one-fifth (20%) of the population was aged 0 to 14 years in 2006. South Australia, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory reported the lowest proportion of its population in this age group (all 19%), while the Northern Territory (25%) had the highest proportion aged 0 to 14 years. From 1996 to 2006, the number of South Australians aged 0 to 14 years decreased by 13,857. Proportionally South Australians aged 0 to 14 years represented 21% of South Australia's population in 1996 and 19% in 2006. The proportion of the population aged 0 to 14 years decreased in all states and territories except the Northern Territory where it stayed the same. The largest proportional decrease in this age group was recorded for the Australian Capital Territory (from 23% to 19%).

PROPORTION OF TOTAL POPULATION IN AGE GROUPS — 2006
Sex
Females outnumbered males in 2006; in South Australia for every 100 females there were 97 males, the same ratio as for Australia. Victoria and Tasmania had the lowest ratio of males to females, with only 96 males for every 100 females. Females outnumbered males in all states and territories except the Northern Territory, where for every 100 males there were 94 females.

Indigenous status
In South Australia, the number of people identifying as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origins increased from 20,444 (1.4% of the South Australian population) in 1996 to 25,556 (1.7% of the South Australian population) in 2006. This group made up 2.3% (455,027 people) of the population of Australia in 2006, an increase from 2.0% in 1996. In 2006, the Northern Territory ( 27.8%) had the highest proportion of Indigenous people, while Victoria ( 0.6%) had the lowest.

Birthplace
The proportion of overseas-born people in South Australia was 20% in 2006 compared to 21% ten years ago. In 2006, 22% of the population of Australia were born overseas, the same as in 1996. The state or territory with the highest proportion of its population born overseas in 2006 was Western Australia (27%), while the state or territory with the lowest proportion was Tasmania (11%).

Language
English was the only language spoken at home for 83% of the population of South Australia in 2006, compared to 79% nationally. Of all states and territories, Tasmania (92%) had the highest proportion of people who spoke only English at home, while the Northern Territory had the lowest (66%). Between 1996 and 2006, the proportion of the population that spoke only English at home decreased in all states and territories; decreasing in South Australia from 85% to 83% over this period. The largest decreases were recorded for New South Wales (from 79% to 74%) and the Northern Territory (71% to 66%).

ENGLISH THE ONLY LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME, Proportion of the population


Graph: English the only Language Spoken at Home, Proportion of the population
Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2006


In 2006, the most common languages spoken at home other than English in South Australia were Italian and Greek (both 2%). Since 1996, the proportion who spoke Italian in South Australia has declined slightly (from 3%) while the proportion who spoke Greek stayed the same (2%). In 2006, Italian and Greek were also the most common non-English languages spoken at home nationally (2% and 1% respectively). Italian was one of the two most common languages spoken at home other than English in all states and territories except New South Wales and the Northern Territory. In New South Wales the most common non-English languages spoken at home were Arabic (3%) and Cantonese (2%), while in the Northern Territory Djambarrpuyngu (1%) and Arrernte (1%) were prominent.

Household Characteristics
Of the 609,911 South Australian households counted in 2006, 66% were family households, 27% were lone person households and 3% were group households. In comparison, 67% of all Australian households were family households, 23% were lone person households and 4% were group households. Of all states and territories, Victoria had the highest proportion of family households (68%), while the Northern Territory had the lowest (60%). South Australia (27%) recorded the highest proportion of lone person households, followed by Tasmania (26%), while the Northern Territory had the lowest proportion of lone person households (19%).

The proportion of households that were family households decreased in all states and territories from 1996 to 2006. While the proportion of family households in South Australia decreased from 69% to 66% over this period, the largest decrease was recorded for the Northern Territory (from 65% to 60%). Over this period, the proportion of lone person households increased in all states and territories, with lone person households in South Australia increasing from 25% to 27%. The proportion of group households in South Australia stayed the same over this time (3%).

In 2006, the median South Australian household income range was $800–$999 per week, lower than that for all Australian households of $1000–$1199. In 2006, the Australian Capital Territory had the highest median household income range ($1,400–$1,699) of all states and territories, while South Australia and Tasmania (both $800–$999) recorded the lowest median household income range.

The median household income range for South Australia rose from $500-$599 per week in 1996 ($648-$777 in 2006 dollars) to $800–$999 in 2006. This was less than the increase recorded for the median household income range for Australia which rose from $600–$699 per week ($778–$906 in 2006 dollars) to $1000–$1199 over this period.

Dwellings
The number of dwellings recorded in the 2006 Census in South Australia was 681,191, an increase of 62,514 (10%) from 1996. Of these, 90% were occupied private dwellings, 10% were unoccupied private dwellings and less than 1% were non-private dwellings. In comparison, the number of dwellings recorded for all Australia increased by 17% over this period. However, the proportion of each dwelling type was the same as that for South Australia (90%, 10% and less than 1% respectively). In 2006, the Australian Capital Territory (93%) had the highest proportion of occupied private dwellings, while Tasmania (87%) had the lowest proportion of this dwelling type. In contrast, Tasmania (13%) had the highest proportion of unoccupied private dwellings and the Australian Capital Territory (6%) had the lowest proportion of this dwelling type. From 1996 to 2006, there was little change in the proportions of these three dwelling types across all states and territories with the exception of the Northern Territory which recorded a decrease in occupied private dwellings from 94% to 90% and an increase in unoccupied private dwellings from 6% to 9%.

In 2006, 34% of occupied private dwellings in South Australia were fully owned, 33% were being purchased, and 25% were being rented. This was similar to proportions for Australia as a whole (33%, 32% and 26% respectively). Of all states and territories, Tasmania had the highest proportion of occupied private dwellings that were fully owned (37%), followed by Victoria (35%), while the Northern Territory had the lowest proportion (just 17%). The Australian Capital Territory (37%) recorded the highest proportion of these dwellings being purchased, while the Northern Territory recorded the lowest proportion (27%). Occupied private dwellings in the Northern Territory were more likely to be rented (39%) compared to other states and territories, while those in Victoria and Tasmania (23%) were least likely to be rented.

OCCUPIED PRIVATE DWELLINGS, Tenure type — 2006

For South Australia, the biggest change since 1996 has been the decrease in outright home ownership, down from 40%. This has been countered by an increase in dwellings being purchased, up from 27%. Over this period, almost all states and territories showed a decrease in outright home ownership, with the exception of the Australian Capital Territory where the proportion of fully owned dwellings stayed the same (at 29%). The biggest decrease in outright home ownership was recorded for Victoria (44% to 35%), New South Wales (from 42% to 33%),and Queensland (39% to 30%) where the proportion of dwellings fully owned fell by 9 percentage points. Conversely, all states and territories recorded an increase in dwellings being purchased, with the biggest increase occurring in Victoria (27% to 34%) and New South Wales (23% to 30%), both up by 7 percentage points.

In 2006, the median monthly housing loan repayment of the 204,073 occupied private dwellings being purchased by South Australians was the second lowest in the country at $1018. This was up from $650 ($842 in 2006 dollars) in 1996. This increase was smaller than that recorded for Australia as a whole, with the median monthly housing loan repayment increasing from $780 ($1011 in 2006 dollars) in 1996 to $1,300 in 2006. In 2006, New South Wales had the highest median monthly housing loan repayment ($1,517), followed by the Australian Capital Territory ($1,500). The lowest median monthly housing loan repayments was recorded for Tasmania ($867).

MEDIAN MONTHLY HOUSING LOAN REPAYMENTS, Occupied Private Dwellings

Graph: Median Monthly Housing Loan Repayments, Occupied Private Dwellings
* Reported in 2006 dollar values
Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2006

Over the decade to 2006, the biggest increase in median monthly housing loan repayments were reported for New South Wales (up 35%), Victoria (up 32%) and Western Australia (up 26%). The Northern Territory had the lowest increase, up 17% from 1996. In the same period, South Australia recorded a 21% increase.

In 2006, the median weekly rent of the 156,288 occupied private dwellings being rented in South Australia was $150, compared with a median of $190 for Australia as a whole. The Australian Capital Territory recorded the highest median weekly rent ($260), followed by New South Wales ($210), while the lowest median weekly rent was recorded for Tasmania ($135) and the Northern Territory ($140).