idc-logo
svg rectangle color
AustraliaCommunity profile

Regional Australia

Education institution attending

In 2021, 82,978 males in Regional Australia were attending university. This represents 2.0% of the population, compared to 5.1% in Greater Melbourne.

The share of Regional Australia's population attending educational institutions reflects the age structure of the population, as it is influenced by the number of children attending school; proximity to tertiary education, which can mean young adults leaving home to be nearer to educational facilities and; the degree to which people are seeking out educational opportunities in adulthood, especially in their late teens and early twenties.

This data is often combined with Age Structure to identify areas with significant university student populations.

Learn more about planning education provision here.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'What type of educational institution is the person attending?'

Education institution attending
Regional Australia - Total males (Usual residence)20212006Change
Type of institutionNumber%Greater Melbourne %Number%Greater Melbourne %2006 to 2021
Pre-school77,0691.92.356,9311.71.7+20,138
Primary school342,1188.38.4325,1489.48.2+16,970
Primary - Government236,3155.75.9237,4256.95.5-1,110
Primary - Catholic68,5451.71.658,3451.71.8+10,200
Primary - Independent37,2580.91.029,3720.90.9+7,886
Secondary school262,9026.46.6226,7656.66.7+36,137
Secondary - Government163,4184.03.8155,7314.53.8+7,687
Secondary - Catholic56,1431.41.441,5611.21.5+14,582
Secondary - Independent43,3411.11.429,4680.91.4+13,873
TAFE/Vocational78,7321.92.564,5471.92.3+14,185
University82,9782.05.159,2371.74.4+23,741
Other23,5130.61.111,4780.30.6+12,035
Not attending2,930,99871.169.12,410,14269.967.8+520,856
Not stated325,6417.94.9293,2058.58.4+32,436
Total4,123,951100.0100.03,447,453100.0100.0+676,498
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2006 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

Analysis of the share of the male population attending educational institutions in Regional Australia in 2021 compared to Greater Melbourne shows that there was a similar proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a lower proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 8.3% of the male population were attending primary school, 6.4% of the male population were attending secondary institutions, and 3.9% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.4%, 6.6% and 7.6% respectively for Greater Melbourne.

The major differences between the share of the male population attending learning institutions in Regional Australia and Greater Melbourne were:

  • A larger percentage of males not attending (71.1% compared to 69.1%)
  • A smaller percentage of males attending University (2.0% compared to 5.1%)

Emerging groups

From 2006 to 2021, Regional Australia's male population increased by 676,509 people (+19.6%). This represents an average annual change of 1.2% per year over the period.

The largest changes in the number of males attending education institutions in Regional Australia, between 2006 and 2021 were in those who nominated:

  • Secondary school (+36,137 males)
  • University (+23,741 males)
  • Pre-school (+20,138 males)
  • Primary school (+16,970 males)

DISCLAIMER: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.

Please view our Privacy Policy, Terms of use and Legal notices. Stats NZ Data and the copyright in the Stats NZ Data remains the property of the Statistics New Zealand.

The copyright in the way .id has modified, transformed or reconfigured the Stats NZ Data as published on this website remains the property of .id. Stats NZ Data can be accessed on the Statistics New Zealand website at www.stats.govt.nz. Unless otherwise specified, content that Stats NZ produce is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. For further information see https://www.stats.govt.nz/about-us/copyright/.