1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/01/2002   
   Page tools: Print Print Page  
Contents >> Energy >> Indicators of energy use in Australia

Between 1990-91 and 1998-99 Australia's total energy consumption increased by 23%. Over the same period, population increased by just under 10%, and GDP by over 34% (in chain volume terms). Aggregate energy intensity (energy consumed per unit of output) of the economy has declined by around 9% since 1990-91. Despite the high growth in electricity generation, total energy consumption grew at a slower rate than GDP, particularly over the past few years (table 15.21).

An indicator of aggregate energy intensity, such as the ratio of energy use to GDP, does not account for the effects of changes in the structure of energy use over time. Aggregate energy intensity is a very basic indicator and does not provide an adequate picture of the underlying trends in energy intensity within the economy. The article International comparisons of energy performance which follows provides more detail on the composition of this aggregate indicator.


15.21 SELECTED ENERGY INDICATORS, Australia - 1990-91 to 1998-99



Energy consumption


Electricity generation

Energy use by road transport



Population



GDP(a)


Per capita energy use

Per capita electricity

generation

Energy
use/
GDP(a)
Road transport
use per capita

Year

PJ

PJ

PJ

'000

$m

GJ/capita

GJ/capita

GJ/$m

GJ/capita

1990-91
3,949.9
1,065.0
796.6
17,284.0
439,783
228.5
61.6
8981.5
46.1
1991-92
3,982.7
1,092.9
809.7
17,494.7
441,458
227.7
62.5
9021.7
46.3
1992-93
4,081.8
1,096.5
829.1
17,667.1
457,735
231.0
62.1
8917.4
46.9
1993-94
4,181.9
1,109.6
853.5
17,854.7
476,556
234.2
62.1
8775.3
47.8
1994-95
4,365.3
1,162.6
878.0
18,071.8
498,113
241.6
64.3
8763.7
48.6
1995-96
4,505.5
1,211.8
904.3
18,310.7
520,669
246.1
66.2
8653.3
49.4
1996-97
4,611.0
1,244.1
921.3
18,524.2
540,379
248.9
67.2
8532.9
49.7
1997-98
4,777.6
1,347.3
936.4
18,730.4
565,881
255.1
71.9
8442.8
50.0
1998-99
4,858.3
1,398.3
960.7
18,937.2
591,546
256.5
73.8
8212.9
50.7
% change since 1990-91
23.0
31.3
20.6
9.6
34.5
12.3
19.8
-8.6
10.0

(a) Chain volume measure. Reference year is 1997-98.

Source: ABARE, electronic datasets; Australian System of National Accounts (5204.0); Australian Demographic Statistics (3101.0).



Previous PageNext Page