VICTORIA

TOTAL POPULATION

The estimated resident population of Victoria at June 2015 was 5.94 million people. In the five years to 2015, Victoria had the largest population growth of all states and territories, with an increase of 476,400 people.

In 2015, there were 4.53 million people living in Greater Melbourne, accounting for 76% of Victoria's population. Between 2010 and 2015, the population of Greater Melbourne increased by 423,600, which was 89% of Victoria’s total growth. Over the same period, Melbourne - West had the largest and fastest growth of all SA4s in Greater Melbourne, with an increase of 109,100 people (18%).

The rest of Victoria (outside of Greater Melbourne) grew by 52,700 people between 2010 and 2015. Geelong had the largest and fastest growth of all SA4s in the rest of Victoria over this period, with an increase of 21,900 people (8.7%). Other SA4s outside Greater Melbourne with large growth in the five years to 2015 were Latrobe - Gippsland (up by 9,900 people) and Ballarat (up 9,300).


AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

The age distribution of Greater Melbourne was younger than for the rest of the state. At June 2015, 39% of Greater Melbourne's population were aged 20 to 44 years, compared with 29% in the rest of Victoria. Conversely, in the rest of Victoria, 40% of the population were aged 50 years or over, compared with 31% of the population in Greater Melbourne.

The age distribution of the population in Greater Melbourne varies most from the rest of the state for the young adult population. The prevalence of younger adults in Greater Melbourne is consistent with their tendency to migrate out of regional areas to pursue work, education and other opportunities in the capital city.

MEDIAN AGE

At June 2015, the median age of Victoria's population was 37.3 years, meaning that half the population were younger and half were older than this age. Females in Victoria continued to have a higher median age (38.3 years) than males (36.3), reflecting their longer life expectancy. The Victorian median age was similar to that of Australia overall (37.4).

In the five years to 2015, the median age in Greater Melbourne remained unchanged at 36.0 years, but increased from 40.5 to 42.2 years in the rest of Victoria.

In 2015, SA2s with the highest median ages were Paynesville (59.0 years), Queenscliff (56.3) and Portarlington (55.8), all popular retirement coastal areas in regional Victoria. The SA2s with the lowest median ages were all in Greater Melbourne. The lowest were Parkville (24.8 years) and Carlton (25.7), which are both adjacent to the University of Melbourne, Clayton (27.0), which contains the main Monash University campus, and inner-city Melbourne (27.2).

In the five years to 2015, the largest increases in median age were in the regional areas of Otway (up 4.8 years), Moira and Stawell (both up 4.6 years), and in two areas of Greater Melbourne (Hurstbridge and Taylors Lakes, both up 4.7 years). The largest decreases were in Burwood (down 2.9 years) and Cranbourne South (down 2.2) in Greater Melbourne.



CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

At June 2015, there were 1.09 million children under 15 years of age in Victoria, an increase of 80,100 (8.0%) since June 2010. Children comprised 18% of the state's total population in 2015.

Around three quarters of children in Victoria lived in Greater Melbourne in 2015. In the five years to 2015, the number of children in Greater Melbourne increased by 76,000 (10.2%) to reach 821,500 while the number in the rest of Victoria grew by 4,100 (1.6%) to 263,600. In 2015, the proportion of the population who were children was about the same in Greater Melbourne (18%) as in the rest of Victoria (19%).

The SA2s with the highest proportion of children were in growth areas in outer Greater Melbourne and regional cities. Taylors Hill, in Greater Melbourne's west, had the highest proportion of children (29%), followed by Point Cook (28%), and South Morang, Cranbourne West, Truganina and Cranbourne East (all 27%). In the rest of Victoria, the Bendigo suburbs of Strathfieldsaye and Maiden Gully had the highest proportions of children, both 26%.



WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

At June 2015, there were 3.96 million people aged between 15 and 64 years in Victoria, accounting for 67% of Victoria's population. Between 2010 and 2015, the working age population in Victoria increased by 257,900 people (7.0%).

Over three quarters (78%) of the working age population in Victoria lived in Greater Melbourne. In the five years to 2015, the number of people of working age in Greater Melbourne increased by 8.9% to 3.09 million, while, in the rest of the state, the number increased by 0.7% to 872,900.

The SA2s with the highest proportions of working age people were in Greater Melbourne’s inner-city areas. These include Melbourne (94%), Southbank (90%), and Carlton and Docklands (both 88%). This reflects the high number of tertiary students and professionals living in these areas.




PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

At June 2015, there were 892,400 people aged 65 years and over living in Victoria, representing 15% of the population. Of these, 122,800 people (2.1% of the state's total population) were aged 85 years and over. In line with the continuing ageing of the Victorian population, the number of people aged 65 years and over grew by 18% between 2010 and 2015, compared with 8.7% growth in Victoria for the total population.

In Greater Melbourne, 14% of the population were aged 65 years and over, compared with 19% in the rest of Victoria.

Most of the SA2s with high proportions of people aged 65 years and over were in regional Victoria. The coastal SA2s of Paynesville (38%), Queenscliff (36%), and Portarlington and Rosebud - McCrae (both 32%) had the highest proportions of people in this age group.




SEX RATIO

At June 2015, there were 97.8 males for every 100 females in Victoria. The sex ratio was slightly lower in Greater Melbourne (97.5) than in the rest of Victoria (98.7).

The SA2s with the highest sex ratios were Rockbank - Mount Cottrell (146.0) and Rosedale (143.5), both of which contain large male prisons. Many SA2s in rural Victoria had high sex ratios, partly reflecting a male-dominated workforce in agriculture. Of these, the highest sex ratios were in Mildura Region (124.0), Rushworth (117.3) and Seymour Region (115.4). In Greater Melbourne, Docklands (115.3), Footscray (115.2) and Laverton (114.9), also had high sex ratios.

Carlton North - Princes Hill, in inner Greater Melbourne, was the SA2 with the lowest sex ratio (86.0), followed by Burwood (86.6), Rosebud - McCrae (86.7) and Queenscliff (86.9). In Rosebud - McCrae and Queenscliff, the prevalence of females reflects the relatively high proportion of the population aged 65 and over.