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, South Australia had lower proportion of children (under 18) and a higher proportion of persons aged 60 or older than Western Australia.
The Age Structure of South Australia provides key insights into the level of demand for age based services and facilities such as child care. It is an indicator of South 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 South 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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2011 | Change | ||||
| Service age group (years) | Number | % | Western Australia % | Number | % | Western Australia % | 2011 to 2021 |
| Babies and pre-schoolers (0 to 4) | 94,232 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 96,199 | 6.0 | 6.8 | -1,967 |
| Primary schoolers (5 to 11) | 145,602 | 8.2 | 9.1 | 131,387 | 8.2 | 9.0 | +14,215 |
| Secondary schoolers (12 to 17) | 123,251 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 121,218 | 7.6 | 7.9 | +2,033 |
| Tertiary education and independence (18 to 24) | 148,386 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 147,033 | 9.2 | 9.7 | +1,353 |
| Young workforce (25 to 34) | 235,287 | 13.2 | 14.0 | 202,176 | 12.7 | 14.5 | +33,111 |
| Parents and homebuilders (35 to 49) | 336,377 | 18.9 | 20.8 | 329,405 | 20.6 | 21.8 | +6,972 |
| Older workers and pre-retirees (50 to 59) | 229,229 | 12.9 | 12.6 | 213,850 | 13.4 | 12.7 | +15,379 |
| Empty nesters and retirees (60 to 69) | 215,142 | 12.1 | 10.6 | 172,144 | 10.8 | 9.2 | +42,998 |
| Seniors (70 to 84) | 206,697 | 11.6 | 9.3 | 144,815 | 9.1 | 6.9 | +61,882 |
| Elderly aged (85 and over) | 47,325 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 38,361 | 2.4 | 1.5 | +8,964 |
| Total | 1,781,528 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 1,596,588 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +184,940 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the service age groups of South Australia in 2021 compared to Western Australia shows that there was a lower proportion of people in the younger age groups (0 to 17 years) and a higher proportion of people in the older age groups (60+ years).
Overall, 20.4% of the population was aged between 0 and 17, and 26.3% were aged 60 years and over, compared with 22.6% and 21.8% respectively for Western Australia.
The major differences between the age structure of South Australia and Western Australia were:
- A larger percentage of 'Seniors' (11.6% compared to 9.3%)
- A larger percentage of 'Empty nesters and retirees' (12.1% compared to 10.6%)
- A smaller percentage of 'Parents and homebuilders' (18.9% compared to 20.8%)
- A smaller percentage of 'Primary schoolers' (8.2% compared to 9.1%)
Emerging groups
From 2011 to 2021, South Australia's population increased by 184,940 people (11.6%). This represents an average annual population change of 1.1% per year over the period.
The largest changes in the age structure in this area between 2011 and 2021 were in the age groups:
- Seniors (70 to 84) (+61,882 people)
- Empty nesters and retirees (60 to 69) (+42,998 people)
- Young workforce (25 to 34) (+33,111 people)
- Older workers and pre-retirees (50 to 59) (+15,379 people)
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/.