Lyla Lindsey
Australia's population structure is characterised by a highly urbanised population, with a large proportion of people living along the eastern seaboard and the temperate south-eastern coastline. The country has a diverse culture and one of the world's highest foreign-born populations, with almost 39% identifying as having no religion and Christianity as the largest religion. Australia's population has doubled in the last 50 years, with an ageing population and fewer children. The dominant age structure in 2021 was 30-34 years old, and the largest increase in persons between 2021 and 2031 is expected to be in the 20-24 age group.
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What You'll Learn
Population growth and distribution
Australia's population has doubled over the last 50 years. In 2021, the country's population was around 25 million, with almost 70% of people living in the Greater Capital Cities. Sydney and Melbourne are Australia's most populous cities, each with over five million inhabitants. Australia has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world, and its population is highly urbanised, with 85.9% of people living in urban areas in 2020. The population density is low compared to other countries, at 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, or 3.2 in June 2017, and 3 per Km2 in 2013. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest population density, at 174 people per sq km, followed by Victoria (28), New South Wales (10), and Tasmania (7.7). The Northern Territory has the lowest, at 0.2 people per sq km.
The age structure of Australia's population has changed over the last 50 years. In 1971, the highest number of people fell into the 10–13 age bracket, whereas in 2021, the peak age group was 30–34. The number of Australians older than 20 has increased dramatically since 1971, while the number of people younger than 20 has increased only slightly. The median age in Australia is currently around 40. The country's birth rate is declining, and the death rate is rising, which will impact population growth. The age structure of a population has implications for a nation's socioeconomic issues. For example, a high percentage of young people means more investment in schools is needed, while a high percentage of older people require more investment in the health sector.
Australia's population is projected to grow from 25 million in 2016 to 36 million by 2050 and 50 million by 2075. Over the next 30 years, large cities are expected to experience major population growth, while regional areas will likely face shrinking and ageing populations. This presents challenges for spatial planning and policy, particularly in stagnating and shrinking regions, which are currently overlooked in favour of a "growth mantra".
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Population density
Australia is a country characterized by its low population density, with approximately 75% of its population residing in urban areas along the coastlines. The country's vast interior, known for its You may want to see also Australia's population has doubled over the last 50 years, with a highly urbanised population of almost 28 million. The population is ageing, with fewer children, and the dominant age group has shifted upwards from 10–13 years old in 1971 to 30–34 years old in 2021. In 2021, the dominant age group of 30–34-year-olds accounted for 7.4% of the total population. The largest increase in the population between 2021 and 2031 is expected to be in the 20–24 age group, which is forecast to increase by 468,910 people, accounting for 7.0% of the total population. The largest five-year age group in 2031 is predicted to be 35–39 years, with a total of 2,126,489 people. The median age in Australia is currently around 40, which is similar to several other European countries and Japan. The ageing population will impact the country's socioeconomic issues, with a higher percentage of older people leading to a greater need for investment in the health sector. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth, and it depends on the level of fertility and the age structure of the population. The death rate is also an indicator of the mortality situation in a country, although it is influenced by age distribution. Most countries will eventually show a rise in the overall death rate, despite continued declines in mortality at all ages, as declining fertility results in an ageing population. Australia's urban settlement structure is dominated by large metropolitan centres along its coastline. In 2021, almost 70% of the nation's 25.4 million inhabitants lived in the Greater Capital Cities. The capital cities have grown faster because international migrants have preferred to settle in these areas. Peri-metropolitan cities and accessible coastal locations have also recorded growth, while smaller rural towns and remote areas are experiencing declining populations. Over the next three decades, Australia's large cities are expected to continue to grow, while regional areas will likely face shrinking and ageing populations. The population density in Australia is low, at 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, although a large proportion of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline. The population density varies across the country, with the Australian Capital Territory having the highest density at 174 people per square kilometre, followed by Victoria (28), New South Wales (10), and Tasmania (7.7). The remaining states and territories have population densities below the Australian average, with the Northern Territory the lowest at 0.2 people per square kilometre. You may want to see also Australia has no official religion. The country's religious profile has been shaped by waves of migration. In the late 18th century, Christianity was introduced by the British. In the 2021 census, 43.9% of Australians identified with Christianity, a decrease from 52.1% in the 2016 census. Christian denominations were once historically correlated with one's ethnicity in Australia. In particular, the Catholic Church was often associated with the Irish population while Protestant denominations (mainly the Anglican Church and Presbyterian Church) were associated with the British. During this time, one's religious and ethnic identification played a major role in determining one's education and opportunities in life. The Aboriginal peoples of Australia traditionally followed a set of beliefs known as The Dreaming; some of the earliest evidence on earth for religious practices among humans has been found in the archaeological record of their ancestors. The Australian gold rushes brought in workers from China and the Pacific Islands, as well as specialised workers from British India, such as the mainly Muslim "Afghan Cameleers". Dreaming (spirituality) has been practised for tens of thousands of years. It is at once a collection of stories of an ancient view of creation and present-day spirituality. In 2021, 7,887 people were recorded as practising Australian Aboriginal traditional religions. The Northern Territory had the highest number of people recorded as practising Aboriginal traditional religions (3,437), followed by New South Wales (1422), Western Australia (1096) and Queensland (979). Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in Australia, with followers comprising 3.2% of the total population. Followers of Hinduism, the second-largest non-Christian religion represented in Australia, make up about 2.7% of the total population. About 2.4% of Australians follow Buddhism, and less than 1% of the total population follows Sikhism and Judaism, respectively. The Jewish community was the first non-Christian ethno-religious group to arrive in Australia during the colonisation period. Most of the first Jewish migrants were English speakers from Britain and Ireland rather than Yiddish-speaking Jews from Eastern Europe. Approximately 91,000 people identified as religiously Jewish in the 2021 census (0.4% of the population). However, this figure may be an underestimation of the total Jewish population due to ambiguities around 'Jewish' as a religious or ethnic identity marker. You may want to see also Australia's population structure is highly urbanised, with a large proportion of the population living in metropolitan centres along the eastern seaboard and the temperate south-eastern coastline. In 2020, 85.9% of the population was urban, totalling around 22 million people. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest population density, with 174 people per square kilometre. Sydney and Melbourne are the most populous cities, each with over five million residents. The country's urban population is expected to continue growing, with projections of major population increases in large cities over the next three decades. This trend is influenced by international migrants' preference for settling in major cities over regional areas. Consequently, smaller rural towns and remote areas are experiencing population decline. The urbanisation of Australia has resulted in a shift in the dominant age structure towards older age groups. In 1971, the dominant age group was around 10–13 years old, but by 2021, it had shifted to 30–35 years old, with the largest five-year age group projected to be 35–39 years old in 2031. This shift indicates a decrease in the proportion of younger people and an increase in the number of older individuals. The ageing of the population has implications for socioeconomic issues. Australia will need to invest more in the health sector to cater to the needs of its ageing citizens. Additionally, the country will need to address the challenges of spatial imbalances caused by the concentration of population growth in dominant capital cities and the lack of medium-sized cities. The Australian government's spatial policies primarily focus on growth rather than addressing the needs of declining regions. The "growth mantra" assumes that population growth leads to better economic performance and vice versa. However, this simplistic perspective fails to acknowledge the complex relationship between population and economic growth, where population growth can occur alongside economic decline and vice versa. Therefore, more nuanced policy perspectives are necessary to effectively manage the spatial implications of urbanisation and population changes in Australia. You may want to see also Australia's population is almost 28 million. Australia's population density is 3 per Km2 (9 people per square mile). This is among the lowest in the world. Australia's population is highly urbanised, with 85.9% of the population living in urban areas. The population is ageing, with a decrease in the number of children and an increase in the number of people over 20. The dominant age group in 2021 was 30 to 34 years old, which accounted for 7.4% of the total population. 38.9% of Australians identify as having no religion, while 43.9% identify as Christian. 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