Powered by .id (informed decisions) for Western Sydney (LGA)
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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idIn 2021, 126,656 people in Western Sydney (LGA) were attending university. This represents 4.9% of the population, compared to 5.5% in Greater Sydney.
The share of Western Sydney (LGA)'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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Sydney (LGA) - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2006 | Change | ||||
| Type of institution | Number | % | Greater Sydney % | Number | % | Greater Sydney % | 2006 to 2021 |
| Pre-school | 56,092 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 34,252 | 1.8 | 1.7 | +21,840 |
| Primary school | 236,286 | 9.1 | 8.2 | 178,216 | 9.2 | 8.0 | +58,070 |
| Primary - Government | 160,817 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 120,380 | 6.2 | 5.4 | +40,436 |
| Primary - Catholic | 46,611 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 40,299 | 2.1 | 1.7 | +6,311 |
| Primary - Independent | 28,858 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 17,535 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +11,322 |
| Secondary school | 181,529 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 141,107 | 7.3 | 6.5 | +40,422 |
| Secondary - Government | 106,163 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 85,237 | 4.4 | 3.7 | +20,926 |
| Secondary - Catholic | 47,296 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 38,160 | 2.0 | 1.7 | +9,135 |
| Secondary - Independent | 28,070 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 17,709 | 0.9 | 1.2 | +10,361 |
| TAFE/Vocational | 68,768 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 52,917 | 2.7 | 2.5 | +15,851 |
| University | 126,656 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 62,936 | 3.2 | 4.4 | +63,719 |
| Other | 28,340 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 12,991 | 0.7 | 0.8 | +15,349 |
| Not attending | 1,758,331 | 67.5 | 68.8 | 1,289,366 | 66.5 | 67.0 | +468,965 |
| Not stated | 150,492 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 165,991 | 8.6 | 9.2 | -15,499 |
| Total | 2,606,494 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 1,937,778 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +668,715 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the share of the population attending educational institutions in Western Sydney (LGA) in 2021 compared to Greater Sydney shows that there was a higher proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a lower proportion engaged in tertiary level education.
Overall, 9.1% of the population were attending primary school, 7.0% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 7.5% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.2%, 6.5% and 8.2% respectively for Greater Sydney.
The major difference between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Western Sydney (LGA) and Greater Sydney was:
- A smaller percentage of persons not attending (67.5% compared to 68.8%)
Emerging groups
From 2006 to 2021, Western Sydney (LGA)'s population increased by 668,721 people (+34.5%). This represents an average annual change of 2.0% per year over the period.
The largest changes in the number of persons attending education institutions in Western Sydney (LGA), between 2006 and 2021 were in those who nominated:
- University (+63,719 persons)
- Primary school (+58,070 persons)
- Primary - Government (+40,436 persons)
- Secondary school (+40,422 persons)
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