Powered by .id (informed decisions) for Western Sydney (LGA)
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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idIn 2021, 152,042 people in the Rest of Sydney were attending university. This represents 6.7% of the population, compared to 4.9% in Western Sydney (LGA).
The share of the Rest of Sydney'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.
Q:
Derived from the Census question:
'What type of educational institution is the person attending?'
| Education institution attending | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rest of Sydney - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Type of institution | Number | % | Western Sydney (LGA) % | Number | % | Western Sydney (LGA) % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Pre-school | 44,309 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 36,107 | 1.6 | 1.8 | +8,202 |
| Primary school | 162,698 | 7.1 | 9.1 | 156,940 | 7.2 | 9.0 | +5,758 |
| Primary - Government | 110,524 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 105,526 | 4.8 | 6.1 | +4,998 |
| Primary - Catholic | 29,492 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 30,084 | 1.4 | 1.9 | -592 |
| Primary - Independent | 22,682 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 21,330 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1,352 |
| Secondary school | 135,223 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 122,562 | 5.6 | 7.0 | +12,661 |
| Secondary - Government | 63,342 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 56,387 | 2.6 | 4.1 | +6,955 |
| Secondary - Catholic | 34,571 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 33,335 | 1.5 | 1.9 | +1,236 |
| Secondary - Independent | 37,310 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 32,840 | 1.5 | 1.0 | +4,470 |
| TAFE/Vocational | 60,094 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 39,608 | 1.8 | 2.0 | +20,486 |
| University | 152,042 | 6.7 | 4.9 | 168,218 | 7.7 | 5.0 | -16,176 |
| Other | 28,529 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 25,753 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +2,776 |
| Not attending | 1,593,374 | 69.9 | 67.5 | 1,493,129 | 68.2 | 67.9 | +100,245 |
| Not stated | 101,610 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 146,713 | 6.7 | 6.3 | -45,103 |
| Total | 2,277,879 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 2,189,030 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +88,849 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the share of the population attending educational institutions in the Rest of Sydney in 2021 compared to Western Sydney (LGA) shows that there was a lower proportion attending primary school, a lower proportion attending secondary school, and a higher proportion engaged in tertiary level education.
Overall, 7.1% of the population were attending primary school, 5.9% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 9.3% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 9.1%, 7.0% and 7.5% respectively for Western Sydney (LGA).
The major differences between the share of the population attending learning institutions in the Rest of Sydney and Western Sydney (LGA) were:
- A larger percentage of persons not attending (69.9% compared to 67.5%)
- A larger percentage of persons attending University (6.7% compared to 4.9%)
- A smaller percentage of persons attending a primary school (any type) (7.1% compared to 9.1%)
- A smaller percentage of persons attending a Government primary school (4.9% compared to 6.2%)
Emerging groups
From 2016 to 2021, Rest of Sydney's population increased by 88,849 people (+4.1%). This represents an average annual change of 0.8% per year over the period.
The largest changes in the number of persons attending education institutions in the Rest of Sydney, between 2016 and 2021 were in those who nominated:
- TAFE/Vocational (+20,486 persons)
- University (-16,176 persons)
- Secondary school (+12,661 persons)
- Pre-school (+8,202 persons)
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