| September 29, 2005 | Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST) | 109/2005 |
Snapshot of the Sunshine state's baby boomers: ABS
Nearly one in three Queenslanders (29%) are baby boomers (born 1946-65) and this group is set to grow dramatically over the coming years, according to a new analysis released today.
Queensland's Baby Boomers - A Profile of Persons Born 1946-1965 was jointly released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Queensland Government Office of Economic and Statistical Research. Highlights include:
- The number of baby boomers in Queensland is projected to increase to 1.133 million by 2021. There will be ten times more Queenslanders aged 86-105 years in 2051 than in 2001 due to ageing of the baby boomer population.
- Overseas-born baby boomers were more likely to hold a bachelor degree or higher (17%) than Australian-born baby boomers (13%). Close to one in four (23%) of the state's baby boomers were born overseas.
- While most (82%) Queensland baby boomers considered themselves to be in good to excellent health in 2001, over half (54%) were either overweight or obese, almost one-third had a sedentary lifestyle (31%) and over one-quarter (28%) were smokers.
- Australian government health expenditure on baby boomers is lower than the Australian per capita average, but health care costs rise steeply for older age groups. Just over half (55%) of baby boomers had private health insurance.
- Older baby boomers enjoyed the highest household income of any age group in 2000-01 ($497 per week after tax and standardising for household size and composition). Older baby boomers' average net household worth was almost double that of younger baby boomers in 1999-2000 ($389,000 and $199,000 respectively).
- Most of the state's one million baby boomers lived in South-east Queensland (65%).
- One in two (52%) Queensland families included at least one baby boomer in 2003. Between 2001 and 2026 the number of baby boomers living alone is projected to increase by 153%. Baby boomers living in a couple-only family will increase by 154% over this period.
- One-third (33%) of Queensland baby boomers owned their own house outright, 39% were purchasing, and 23% were renting in 2001.
- Baby boomers made up 46% of the total Queensland labour force. One in three (32%) baby boomers had been in their current job for more than 10 years in 2000.
- Over one-third (38%) of Queensland baby boomers left school at Year 10 or below. However, 40% had a non-school qualification in 2001, including 14% with a bachelor degree or higher.
More details are in Queensland's Baby Boomers - A Profile of Persons Born 1946-1965 (cat. no. 4149.3).
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