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| PERSON CHARACTERISTICS |
| (Place of usual residence) |
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PERSON CHARACTERISTICS  | Australia
2006 Census | % of total persons
2006 Census | | % of total persons
2001 Census |
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| Total persons (excluding overseas visitors) | 19,855,288 | - | 18,769,249 | - |
| Males | 9,799,252 | 49.4% | 9,270,466 | 49.4% |
| Females | 10,056,036 | 50.6% | 9,498,783 | 50.6% |
| Indigenous persons (comprises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) | 455,031 | 2.3% | 410,003 | 2.2% |
In the 2006 Census (held on 8th August 2006) there were 19,855,288 persons usually resident in Australia. The population has increased by 6%, or just over one million people, since the 2001 Census. As in 2001, females slightly outnumbered males in the population.
Just over 2% of the population identified themselves as being of Indigenous origin in the 2006 Census. Since the 2001 Census, the Indigenous population has increased by 11% or 45,000 persons.
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| AGE | Australia
2006 Census | % of total persons
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total persons
2001 Census |
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| Age groups: |  |
| 0-4 years | 1,260,405 | 6.3% | 1,243,969 | 6.6% |
| 5-14 years | 2,676,807 | 13.5% | 2,668,506 | 14.2% |
| 15-24 years | 2,704,276 | 13.6% | 2,566,346 | 13.7% |
| 25-54 years | 8,376,751 | 42.2% | 8,159,808 | 43.5% |
| 55-64 years | 2,192,675 | 11.0% | 1,759,742 | 9.4% |
| 65 years and over | 2,644,374 | 13.3% | 2,370,878 | 12.6% |
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| Median age of persons | 37 | - | 35 | - |
Australia's population continued to age as a result of low fertility and increased life expectancy. The median age of the resident population increased by 2 years, to 37 years in 2006 from 35 years in 2001. The biggest change occurred in the older age groups. The proportion of the population aged 55-64 years increased from 9% to 11% between the 2001 and 2006 Censuses. Over the same period the proportion of children in the population (aged 0-14) decreased slightly. However, there were about 16,500 more young children aged 0-4 years in 2006 than in 2001. |
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| SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS | Australia
2006 Census | % of total persons
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total persons
2001 Census |
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| Australian citizenship | 17,095,569 | 86.1% | 16,559,774 | 88.2% |
| Persons born overseas | 4,416,037 | 22.2% | 4,105,444 | 21.9% |
| Overseas visitors (excluded from all other classifications) | 206,358 | 1.0% | 203,101 | 1.1% |
Most people counted in the 2006 Census were Australian citizens (86%). Although the proportion of the population who are citizens decreased slightly, the number of citizens increased by about 535,000 between 2001 and 2006. |
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| COUNTRY OF BIRTH | |
| MAIN RESPONSES FOR AUSTRALIA | Australia
2006 Census | % of total persons
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total persons
2001 Census |
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| Australia | 14,072,944 | 70.9% | 13,629,481 | 72.6% |
| England | 856,939 | 4.3% | 847,365 | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 389,463 | 2.0% | 355,765 | 1.9% |
| China (excludes SAR's and Taiwan Province) | 206,591 | 1.0% | 142,780 | 0.8% |
| Italy | 199,121 | 1.0% | 218,718 | 1.2% |
| Viet Nam | 159,850 | 0.8% | 154,831 | 0.8% |
In the 2006 Census, 7 out of 10 Australian residents were born in Australia, a slight decrease from 2001. Of people born overseas, the most common countries of birth were England, New Zealand, China, Italy, and Viet Nam. |
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| LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME | |
| MAIN RESPONSES FOR AUSTRALIA | Australia
2006 Census | % of total persons
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total persons
2001 Census |
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| English only spoken at home | 15,581,333 | 78.5% | 15,013,965 | 80.0% |
| Italian | 316,890 | 1.6% | 353,605 | 1.9% |
| Greek | 252,220 | 1.3% | 263,717 | 1.4% |
| Cantonese | 244,553 | 1.2% | 225,307 | 1.2% |
| Arabic | 243,662 | 1.2% | 209,372 | 1.1% |
| Mandarin | 220,601 | 1.1% | 139,286 | 0.7% |
Most people counted in the 2006 Census spoke only English at home (79%). Small proportions of the population spoke other languages at home. The most common languages other than English spoken at home were Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, and Mandarin. |
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| RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION | |
| MAIN RESPONSES FOR AUSTRALIA | Australia
2006 Census | % of total persons
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total persons
2001 Census |
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| Catholic | 5,126,882 | 25.8% | 5,001,624 | 26.6% |
| Anglican | 3,718,248 | 18.7% | 3,881,162 | 20.7% |
| No Religion | 3,706,557 | 18.7% | 2,905,993 | 15.5% |
| Uniting Church | 1,135,422 | 5.7% | 1,248,674 | 6.7% |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 596,668 | 3.0% | 637,530 | 3.4% |
The most common religious affiliations reported in the 2006 Census continued to be Catholic (26%) and Anglican (19%). The proportion of the population that stated they had no religion increased to 19%, from 16% in 2001. |
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| MARITAL STATUS (Population aged 15 years and over) | Australia
2006 Census | % of persons aged
15 years and over
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of persons aged
15 years and over
2001 Census |
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| Married | 7,900,684 | 49.6% | 7,635,947 | 51.4% |
| Never married | 5,278,600 | 33.2% | 4,691,609 | 31.6% |
| Separated or divorced | 1,801,979 | 11.3% | 1,609,314 | 10.8% |
| Widowed | 936,813 | 5.9% | 919,904 | 6.2% |
Just under half (49.6%) of the Australian resident population stated they were married in the 2006 Census, a slight decrease from 51.4% in the 2001 Census. The number and proportion of Australians stating they were never married, separated, or divorced increased from 2001. |
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| INCOME (Population aged 15 years and over) | Australia
2006 Census | | Australia
2001 Census | |
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| Median individual income ($/weekly) | 466 | | 375 | |
| Median household income ($/weekly) | 1,027 | | 782 | |
| Median family income ($/weekly) | 1,171 | | 937 | |
Median gross individual income rose 24% between the 2001 and 2006 Censuses. In 2001, the median gross household income was $782, this increased to $1,027 in 2006. The median gross family income also increased during the same period from $937 to $1,171. |
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| FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS |
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| FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS | Australia
2006 Census | % of total families
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total families
2001 Census |
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| Total families | 5,219,165 | - | 4,936,828 | - |
| Couple families with children | 2,362,582 | 45.3% | 2,321,165 | 47.0% |
| Couple families without children | 1,943,643 | 37.2% | 1,764,167 | 35.7% |
| One parent families | 823,254 | 15.8% | 762,632 | 15.4% |
| Other families | 89,686 | 1.7% | 88,864 | 1.8% |
About 5 million families were counted in the 2006 Census. Couples with children continue to be the most common family type, although as a proportion of all families, this type decreased slightly to 45% between 2001 and 2006. The proportion of couples without children increased from 36% in 2001 to 37% in 2006. There was very little change in the proportion of one parent families and other families between the Censuses. |
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| DWELLING CHARACTERISTICS |
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| DWELLING CHARACTERISTICS - PRIVATE DWELLINGS | Australia
2006 Census | % of total private dwellings
and occupied private dwellings
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total private dwellings
and occupied private dwellings
2001 Census |
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| Total private dwellings (including unoccupied and not stated) | 8,426,559 | - | 7,790,079 | - |
| Occupied private dwellings: | 7,596,183 | - | 7,072,202 | - |
| Separate house | 5,685,387 | 74.8% | 5,327,309 | 75.3% |
| Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc | 702,550 | 9.2% | 632,176 | 8.9% |
| Flat, unit or apartment | 1,076,315 | 14.2% | 923,139 | 13.1% |
| Other dwellings | 127,337 | 1.7% | 134,274 | 1.9% |
| Not stated | 4,594 | 0.1% | 55,304 | 0.8% |
There were 8,426,559 private dwellings counted in Australia in the 2006 Census, an increase of 8.2% since the 2001 Census. The largest proportional change was for flats, units and apartments showing an increase of 0.9% (153,176 dwellings). The reduction in the number of dwelling types not stated was a result of better field procedures during the 2006 Census. |
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| DWELLING CHARACTERISTICS - OCCUPIED PRIVATE DWELLINGS | Australia
2006 Census | | Australia
2001 Census | |
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| Median rent ($/weekly) | 190 | | 145 | |
| Median housing loan repayment ($/monthly) | 1,300 | | 867 | |
| Average household size | 2.6 | | 2.6 | |
| Average number of persons per bedroom | 1.1 | | 1.1 | |
Rents and housing loan repayments increased between the 2001 and 2006 Censuses. In 2006, the median weekly rent increased to $190, from $145 in 2001. The median monthly housing loan repayment increased to $1,300 in 2006, up from $867 in 2001. The average household size and the average number of persons per bedroom did not change. |
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| TENURE TYPE - OCCUPIED PRIVATE DWELLINGS | Australia
2006 Census | % of total occupied
private dwellings
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total occupied
private dwellings
2001 Census |
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| Fully owned | 2,478,264 | 32.6% | 2,810,917 | 39.7% |
| Being purchased (includes being purchased under rent/buy scheme) | 2,448,205 | 32.2% | 1,872,132 | 26.5% |
| Rented (includes rent-free) | 2,063,947 | 27.2% | 1,858,324 | 26.3% |
| Other tenure type | 65,715 | 0.9% | 196,026 | 2.8% |
| Not stated | 540,050 | 7.1% | 334,803 | 4.7% |
Of the 7.5 million private dwellings counted in the 2006 Census 65% were fully owned or being purchased, slightly lower than in 2001 (66%). This change was driven by a large decrease in the proportion of occupied private dwellings that were fully owned. |
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| HOUSEHOLD TYPE - OCCUPIED PRIVATE DWELLINGS | Australia
2006 Census | % of total occupied
private dwellings
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total occupied
private dwellings
2001 Census |
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| Family household | 5,122,760 | 67.4% | 4,866,031 | 68.8% |
| Lone person household | 1,740,481 | 22.9% | 1,616,213 | 22.9% |
| Group household | 280,856 | 3.7% | 262,551 | 3.7% |
In the 2006 Census, around two thirds of all occupied private dwellings in Australia were family households. This proportion decreased slightly between 2001 and 2006. The proportion of dwellings that were occupied by lone person or group households did not change between Censuses. |
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| LANDLORD TYPE - OCCUPIED PRIVATE DWELLINGS BEING RENTED (including rent free accommodation) | Australia
2006 Census | % of total rented dwellings
2006 Census | Australia
2001 Census | % of total rented dwellings
2001 Census |
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| Real estate agent | 1,043,198 | 50.5% | 813,633 | 43.8% |
| State or Territory housing authority | 306,697 | 14.9% | 317,171 | 17.1% |
| Other landlord type | 652,012 | 31.6% | 705,122 | 37.9% |
| Landlord type not stated | 62,037 | 3.0% | 22,398 | 1.2% |
In the 2006 Census just over half (51%) of all occupied private dwellings being rented were rented from real estate agents, an increase from 44% in the 2001 Census. There was a decrease in the proportion of occupied private dwellings being rented from a State or Territory housing authority and from other landlord types. |
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Data for this QuickStat was collected from the 2001 and 2006 Censuses of Population and Housing.
Some values in this QuickStat may have been adjusted to avoid release of confidential data. For further information refer to Introduced Random Error.
For further inquiries contact the ABS National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.
2006 Census Dictionary
Census Data Quality Statement
© Commonwealth of Australia 2007 |
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This page last updated 1 August 2008
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