VICTORIA


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

The estimated resident population of Victoria at June 2013 was 5.74 million people. In the five years to 2013, Victoria had the largest population growth of all states and territories, with an increase of 483,000 people.

In 2013, there were an estimated 4.35 million people living in Greater Melbourne, accounting for 76% of Victoria's population. The population in Greater Melbourne increased by 416,500 since 2008, which equated to 86% of Victoria's total growth between 2008 and 2013. The rest of the state grew by 66,400 people over this period, with more than half of this growth in the two SA4s of Geelong and Latrobe - Gippsland.

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION

The most notable difference between the age distribution of Greater Melbourne and the rest of Victoria in 2013 was the larger proportion of people aged between 20 and 44 years in Greater Melbourne. People within this age group made up 39% of the population in Greater Melbourne compared to 29% in the rest of Victoria. This partly reflects a pattern of young adults migrating out of regional areas to pursue work, education and other opportunities in the capital city.

MEDIAN AGE

At June 2013, the median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of Victoria's population was 37.3 years, the same as the median age of the total Australian population. Females in Victoria continued to have a higher median age (38.3 years) than males (36.3), reflecting their longer life expectancy.

In the five years to 2013, the median age of the population in Greater Melbourne remained stable at 36.1 years, while the median age of people living in regional Victoria increased from 40.0 to 41.6 years.

The SA2s with the highest median ages in 2013 were Paynesville (57.8 years), Queenscliff (55.4) and Portarlington (54.9), all coastal areas in regional Victoria. The SA2s with the lowest median ages were all inner-city areas in Greater Melbourne. These were Parkville (24.9 years), which contains the University of Melbourne, and the adjacent SA2s of Carlton (25.7) and Melbourne (27.0).

In the five years to 2013, the largest increases in median age were in Moira (up by 4.8 years) and Otway (4.3) in regional Victoria, and Flinders (4.6) in Greater Melbourne. The largest decreases were in Cranbourne South (down by 4.0 years), Burwood (3.9) and Doveton (2.1), all in Greater Melbourne.

CHILDREN (UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE)

At June 2013, there were 1.05 million children under 15 years of age in Victoria, an increase of 68,100 (6.9%) since June 2008. Children comprised 18% of the total Victorian population in 2013, compared to 19% in June 2008.

Around three quarters of children in Victoria lived in Greater Melbourne in 2013. In the five years to 2013, the number of children in Greater Melbourne increased by 65,300 while the number in the rest of Victoria grew by 2,800. However, Greater Melbourne had a slightly lower proportion of children in it's population (18%) than the rest of Victoria (19%) in 2013.

The SA2 of Taylors Hill had the highest proportion of children (29%) in 2013, followed by Point Cook (28%), and Berwick - South, Roxburgh Park - Somerton, and South Morang (all 27%). All of these SA2s are on the outskirts of Greater Melbourne. In the rest of Victoria, Strathfieldsaye and Maiden Gully had the highest proportions of children (both 26%), followed by Bannockburn (25%).

Some SA2s, particularly in Greater Melbourne's western growth fringe, had large increases in the proportion of children in their populations in the five years to 2013. The largest increases were in Truganina (up by 4.6%) and Seddon - Kingsville (3.0%). However, the proportion of children declined in the majority of SA2s in Victoria over this period. The largest decrease was in Lysterfield, down from 26% to 21%.

WORKING AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)

People aged between 15 and 64 years accounted for 67% of Victoria's population in June 2013. Between 2008 and 2013, the working age population in Victoria increased by 287,400 people (8.1%).

Over three quarters of the working age population in Victoria lived in Greater Melbourne. In the five years to 2013, the working age population of Greater Melbourne increased by 9.7% compared to an increase of 2.9% in the rest of Victoria.

The SA2s containing the highest proportions of people aged 15 to 64 years in 2013 were inner-city Melbourne (94%), Southbank (90%), and Docklands and Carlton (both 88%). This reflects the high number of students and professionals living in these areas.

In the five years to 2013, the largest increases in the proportion of people of working age were in Lysterfield (up by 3.3%) and Footscray (2.8%). The largest decreases were in Macedon (down by 5.9%), Wheelers Hill (5.6%), and Vermont South and East Melbourne (both 5.2%).

PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

At June 2013, there were 839,000 people aged 65 years and over living in Victoria, representing 15% of the total population. In line with the continuing ageing of the Victorian population, the number of people in this age group grew by 18% between 2008 and 2013.

In Greater Melbourne, 13% of the population were aged 65 years and over in 2013, compared to 18% in the rest of Victoria.

The coastal SA2s of Paynesville (36%), Queenscliff (34%) and Rosebud - McCrae (32%) had the highest proportions of people aged 65 years and over.

The largest increases in the proportion of people aged 65 and over in the five years to 2013 were in Flinders (up by 6.6%), Macedon (6.2%) and Paynesville (5.8%).

SEX RATIO

The sex ratio for Victoria was 98.0 in June 2013, indicating that there were 98 males for every 100 females. The sex ratio was slightly lower in Greater Melbourne (97.6) than in the rest of Victoria (99.1).

The SA2s of Rockbank - Mount Cottrell (147.4) and Rosedale (145.1) had the highest sex ratios in Victoria in 2013. Both of these SA2s contain large prisons. Other SA2s with comparatively high sex ratios included Mildura Region (121.0), Seymour Region (117.4), Rushworth (116.0) and Footscray (115.2).

Burwood, in Greater Melbourne's east, was the SA2 with the lowest sex ratio (85.8), followed by Carlton North - Princes Hill (87.1), Mornington (87.7) and Rosebud - McCrae (87.8).