WESTERN AUSTRALIA


Total population

Age and sex distribution

Median age

Children (under 15 years of age)

Working age population (aged 15-64 years)

People aged 65 years and over

Sex ratio


TOTAL POPULATION

At June 2013, the estimated resident population of Western Australia (WA) was 2.52 million people. WA's population increased by 347,600 people, or 16%, in the five years to 2013. This was the fastest growth of all states and territories.

Over three quarters (78%) of the state’s population resided in Greater Perth in 2013. In the five years to 2013, the population in Greater Perth increased by 289,500 people to reach 1.97 million. Over the same period, the rest of WA increased by 58,100 people to reach 547,000.

The population of each SA3 in WA grew between 2008 and 2013. The state's three fastest-growing SA3s were Serpentine - Jarrahdale (up by 39%), Armadale (32%), and Wanneroo (31%), all located in Greater Perth.

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

In 2013, Greater Perth had a lower proportion of its population aged less than 15 years and a higher proportion aged 15 to 34 years as compared to the rest of WA. This is indicative of young adults moving to the capital city for employment or education purposes.

The rest of WA had a higher proportion of its population aged 35 to 64 years compared to Greater Perth. This may be reflective of the employment opportunities generated by mining activity in regional WA.



Differences in the age distribution of Greater Perth and the rest of WA were evident for both sexes, and were most apparent for people aged 20 to 24 years. Females in this age group comprised 3.8% of the Greater Perth population compared with 2.8% in the rest of WA. Similarly, males aged 20 to 24 years comprised 4.0% of the population in Greater Perth compared with 3.3% 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 3,200 more males aged 20 to 24 years than females.

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 2013. Females had a higher median age (36.5 years) than males (35.1). The median age of Greater Perth residents (35.5 years) was lower than that of people living in the rest of WA (36.9).

The SA2s with the highest median ages in WA were the popular retirement and sea-change/tree-change locations of Mandurah - East (48.7 years), York - Beverley (48.6) in the northern wheat belt, Mandurah - South (48.0), Toodyay (47.5) also in the northern wheat belt, and Pemberton (47.5) in the south-west of the state.

Roebuck (27.9 years) and Halls Creek (28.3) in the state’s far north, and Seville Grove (28.3) in Greater Perth, had the lowest median ages in the state.

CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

At June 2013, there were 482,300 people under 15 years of age, accounting for almost one fifth of the state’s population. Children accounted for 19% of the population in Greater Perth and 20% of people in the rest of WA.

The SA2s with the highest proportions of children were Gelorup - Dalyellup - Stratham (29%) in south-west WA, Roebuck (28%) in the state's north, and Ellenbrook (28%) and Singleton - Golden Bay - Secret Harbour (27%) in Greater Perth.

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

Just over two thirds of WA’s population (or 1.72 million people) were aged between 15 and 64 years in June 2013.

The SA2 with the highest proportion of its population 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 of their populations of working age were Ashburton and Roebourne (both 83%), also located in the state's north.

PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

There were 314,400 people aged 65 years and over in WA at June 2013, representing 12% of the state’s population. Almost four fifths (79%) of people aged 65 years and over lived in Greater Perth.

Mandurah - South had 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 of people aged 65 years and over (23%).

SEX RATIO

At June 2013, the sex ratio (the number of males per 100 females) in WA was 102.3, with 1.27 million males and 1.25 million females. This was the second highest ratio of males per 100 females of all states and territories.

The SA2 with the highest sex ratio in Australia was East Pilbara (337.5) in WA's northern mining region. Other SA2s in WA with sex ratios above 150.0 included Casuarina - Wellard (East) and Chidlow, which both contain a large male prison facility, and Roebourne, Ashburton, Meekatharra, Leinster - Leonora and Murray, which are all located in areas of significant mining activity in regional WA.

Within Greater Perth, the SA2s with the lowest sex ratios were Mosman Park - Peppermint Grove (85.0), Bicton - Palmyra (90.2), Mandurah - South (90.7) and Claremont (91.1). Outside of Greater Perth, Albany, located in WA’s south, had the lowest sex ratio at 88.3, followed by Busselton (89.8) in the state's south-west and Geraldton (91.1) in the mid-west.