Population and Demographics

Most of the estimated 20.6 million Australians are descended from nineteenth- and twentieth-century European settlers, the majority from Great Britain and Ireland. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I, spurred by an ambitious immigration program. In 2001, the five largest groups of the 23.1% of Australians who were born overseas were from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Vietnam and China. Following the abolition of the White Australia policy in 1973, numerous government initiatives have been established to encourage and promote racial harmony based on a policy of multiculturalism.

In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 2002-03) live outside their home country. Australia has maintained one of the most active immigration programmes in the world to boost population growth. Most immigrants are skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and refugees.

Indigenous Population

The earliest widely accepted timeline for these first arrivals places this prehistoric human migration at least 40,000-45,000 years ago; other less widely supported evidence suggests human habitation of the continent by 50,000-60,000 years ago or even earlier. These first inhabitants of Australia were originally hunter-gatherer peoples, who over the course of many succeeding generations diversified widely throughout the continent and its nearby islands. Although their technical culture remained static-depending on wood, bone, and stone tools and weapons-their spiritual and social life was highly complex. Most spoke several languages, and confederacies sometimes linked widely scattered tribal groups. Aboriginal population density ranged from one person per square mile along the coasts to one person per 35 square miles in the arid interior. Food procurement was usually a matter for the nuclear family and was very demanding, since there was little large game, and outside of some communities in the more fertile south-east, they had no agriculture.

In 1770, the native population was around half a million, divided in as many as 500 tribes speaking many different languages. The Aboriginal population currently numbers more than 410,003, representing about 2.2% of the population. Today, many tribal Aborigines lead a settled traditional life in remote areas of northern, central, and western Australia. In the south, where most Aborigines are of mixed descent, most live in the cities.

Indigenous Australians have higher rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education and life expectancies for males and females that are 17 years lower than those of other Australians. Since the end of World War II, efforts have been made both by the government and by the public to be more responsive to Aboriginal rights and needs.

Religion

Australia has no state religion. The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians call themselves Christian: 27% identifying themselves as Roman Catholic and 21% as Anglican. Australians who identify themselves as followers of non-Christian religions number 5%. A total of 16% were categorised as having 'No Religion' (which includes non-theistic beliefs such as humanism, atheism, agnosticism and rationalism) and a further 12% declined to answer or did not give a response adequate for interpretation. As in many Western countries, the level of active participation in church worship is much lower than this; weekly attendance at church services is about 1.5 million, about 7.5% of the population.

Education

School attendance is compulsory throughout Australia between the ages of 6-15 years (16 years in South Australia and Tasmania, and 17 years in Western Australia), contributing to an adult literacy rate that is assumed to be 99%. Government grants have supported the establishment of Australia's 38 universities, and although several private universities have been established, the majority receive government funding. There is a state-based system of vocational training colleges, known as TAFE Institutes, and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople. Approximately 58% of Australians between the ages of 25 and 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications and the tertiary graduation rate of 49% is highest of OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. The ratio of international to local students in tertiary education in Australia is the highest in OECD countries.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 20,264,082
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 19.6% (male 2,031,313/female 1,936,802)
  • 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 6,881,863/female 6,764,709)
  • 65 years and over: 13.1% (male 1,170,589/female 1,478,806)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 36.9 years
  • Male: 36 years
  • Female: 37.7 years
• Population Growth Rate: 0.85%
  • Birth Rate: 12.14 births/1,000 population
  • Death Rate: 7.51 deaths/1,000 population
  • Net Migration Rate: 3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 5.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 80.5 years
  • Male: 77.64 years
  • Female: 83.52 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 1.76 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 14,000
• Ethnic Groups:
  • White 92%
  • Asian 7%
  • Aboriginal and other 1%
• Country of Birth:
  • Australia 76.9%
  • United Kingdom 5.8%
  • New Zealand 2.0%
  • Italy 1.2%
  • Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia (0.9%)
  • Vietnam 0.9%
  • China 0.8%
  • Greece 0.7%
  • Germany 0.6%
  • Philippines 0.6%
  • India 0.5%
  • Netherlands 0.5%
  • Thailand 0.1%
• Religions:
  • Catholic 26.4%
  • Anglican 20.5%
  • Other Christian 20.5%
  • Buddhist 1.9%
  • Muslim 1.5%
  • Other 1.2%
  • Unspecified 12.7%
  • None 15.3%
• Languages:
  • English 79.1%
  • Chinese 2.1%
  • Italian 1.9%
  • Other 11.1%
  • Unspecified 5.8%
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 99%
  • Male: 99%
  • Female: 99%