Powered by .id (informed decisions) for Australia
.id community is an evidence base for over 250 local government areas in Australia and New Zealand, helping you make informed decisions.
LEARN MORE ABOUT .idIn 2021, Australia had higher proportion of female children (under 18) and a lower proportion of females aged 60 or older than South Australia.
The Age Structure of Australia provides key insights into the level of demand for age based services and facilities such as child care. It is an indicator of Australia's residential role and function and how it is likely to change in the future.
Service age groups divide the population into age categories that reflect typical life-stages. They indicate the level of demand for services that target people at different stages in life and how that demand is changing.
To get a more complete picture Australia's Age Structure should be viewed in conjunction with Household Types and Dwelling Types.
Q:
Derived from the Census question:
'What is the person's date of birth or age?'
| Age structure - Service age groups | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia - Total females (Enumerated) | 2021 | 2001 | Change | ||||
| Service age group (years) | Number | % | South Australia % | Number | % | South Australia % | 2001 to 2021 |
| Babies and pre-schoolers (0 to 4) | 711,265 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 605,859 | 6.4 | 5.9 | +105,406 |
| Primary schoolers (5 to 11) | 1,081,927 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 911,359 | 9.6 | 9.1 | +170,568 |
| Secondary schoolers (12 to 17) | 890,732 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 778,239 | 8.2 | 8.0 | +112,493 |
| Tertiary education and independence (18 to 24) | 1,051,435 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 869,567 | 9.2 | 8.6 | +181,868 |
| Young workforce (25 to 34) | 1,833,526 | 14.2 | 13.1 | 1,382,264 | 14.5 | 13.4 | +451,262 |
| Parents and homebuilders (35 to 49) | 2,605,000 | 20.2 | 18.9 | 2,127,818 | 22.4 | 22.4 | +477,182 |
| Older workers and pre-retirees (50 to 59) | 1,611,462 | 12.5 | 12.9 | 1,105,001 | 11.6 | 12.2 | +506,461 |
| Empty nesters and retirees (60 to 69) | 1,429,492 | 11.1 | 12.2 | 732,161 | 7.7 | 8.2 | +697,331 |
| Seniors (70 to 84) | 1,330,902 | 10.3 | 12.1 | 809,617 | 8.5 | 10.1 | +521,285 |
| Elderly aged (85 and over) | 331,899 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 179,125 | 1.9 | 2.3 | +152,774 |
| Total | 12,877,640 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 9,501,010 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +3,376,630 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the female service age groups of Australia in 2021 compared to South Australia shows that there was a higher proportion of females in the younger age groups (0 to 17 years) and a lower proportion of females in the older age groups (60+ years).
Overall, 20.8% of the female population was aged between 0 and 17, and 24.0% were aged 60 years and over, compared with 19.6% and 27.5% respectively for South Australia.
The major differences between the female age structure of Australia and South Australia were:
- A larger percentage of 'Parents and homebuilders' (20.2% compared to 18.9%)
- A larger percentage of 'Young workforce' (14.2% compared to 13.1%)
- A smaller percentage of 'Seniors' (10.3% compared to 12.1%)
- A smaller percentage of 'Empty nesters and retirees' (11.1% compared to 12.2%)
Emerging groups
From 2001 to 2021, Australia's female population increased by 3,376,630 people (35.5%). This represents an average annual population change of 1.53% per year over the period.
The largest changes in the female age structure in this area between 2001 and 2021 were in the age groups:
- Empty nesters and retirees (60 to 69) (+697,331 females)
- Seniors (70 to 84) (+521,285 females)
- Older workers and pre-retirees (50 to 59) (+506,461 females)
- Parents and homebuilders (35 to 49) (+477,182 females)
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/.