Regional population by age and sex

Latest release

Statistics about the population by age and sex for Australia's capital cities and regions

Cite
Print
Reference period
2022

Key statistics

  • The median age for capital cities (37.2 years) was younger than the rest of Australia (42.0).
  • The youngest capital was Darwin with a median age of 34.5 years, while Adelaide was the oldest (39.4).
  • Darwin was the only capital with more males than females.

The median age is the age at which half the population is older and half is younger.

The sex ratio is the number of males per 100 females.

Any reference to capital city refers to Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA), and any reference to area refers to Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2).

Capital cities

  • People aged 20 to 44 years made up 37% of the combined capital city population, compared with 29% of the population in the rest of Australia.
  • People aged 55 years and over made up a smaller proportion of the population in capital cities (26%) than in the rest of Australia (34%).
  • The sex ratio in the combined capital cities was 98.2 males per 100 females, compared with 99.2 for the rest of Australia, indicating a higher share of females in the capitals.

Median age and sex ratio

  • Darwin had the youngest median age of all capital cities at 34.5 years, followed by Canberra at 35.6.
  • Adelaide was the oldest capital city with a median age of 39.4 years, ahead of Hobart at 38.8. 
  • Hobart and Adelaide had the lowest sex ratios of all capital cities (both 95.8 males per 100 females), while Darwin had the highest (105.8).
Median age and sex ratio by capital city
Capital cityMedian age (years)Sex ratio
Sydney37.198.9
Melbourne36.997.8
Brisbane36.698.2
Adelaide39.495.8
Perth37.899.2
Hobart38.895.8
Darwin34.5105.8
Canberra35.697.6
Total capital cities37.298.2
Total Australia38.598.5

Regions

Median age

The areas with the youngest median ages were:

  • Acton (20.1 years) and Duntroon (21.7) in the Australian Capital Territory, which had large populations of students or military personnel
  • Northern Peninsula (24.0 years) in Queensland, which had a high proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
  • St Lucia (25.0 years) in Queensland, which contained the University of Queensland

The areas with the oldest median ages were all retirement destinations on the coast including:

  • Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest (65.9 years) in New South Wales
  • Bribie Island (63.1 years) and Cooloola (62.2) in Queensland
  • Point Lonsdale - Queenscliff (62.2 years) in Victoria 

Areas with the youngest median ages

Areas with the oldest median ages

Sex ratio

The areas with the lowest sex ratios, generally with older age profiles and reflecting the longer life expectancy of females, were:

  • Woollahra (82.0 males per 100 females) in Sydney's east, and Castle Hill - East (82.2) in Sydney's north-west
  • Robina - West (82.3 males per 100 females) on Queensland's Gold Coast
  • Mornington - West (83.1 males per 100 females) in Melbourne's south

The areas with the highest sex ratios were:

  • Wacol (279.6 males per 100 females) in Brisbane's south-west and Chidlow (245.5) in Perth's north-east, which both contained male correctional centres
  • East Pilbara (267.7 males per 100 females), an area with significant mining activity in Western Australia's outback
  • Duntroon (222.9 males per 100 females) in the Australian Capital Territory, which contained the Royal Military College

Areas with the lowest sex ratios

Areas with the highest sex ratios

New South Wales

  • Greater Sydney had a younger age distribution than the rest of New South Wales, reflecting the pattern of young adults moving to capital cities for education and work purposes.
  • People aged 20 to 44 years made up 37% of Sydney's population, compared with 29% in the rest of the state.
  • People aged 60 years and over made up 20% of Sydney's population, compared with 29% in the rest of New South Wales.

Median age

Sex ratio

Victoria

  • Greater Melbourne had a younger age distribution than the rest of Victoria, as younger adults tend to migrate out of regional areas to pursue work and education in the capital city.
  • People aged 20 to 44 years made up 38% of the population in Melbourne, compared with 29% in the rest of the state.
  • There was a lower proportion of people aged 55 years and over in Melbourne (25%) than in the rest of Victoria (36%).

Median age

Sex ratio

Queensland

  • Greater Brisbane had a higher proportion of its population aged 20 to 44 years (36%) than the rest of Queensland (31%), reflecting the pattern of young adults moving to capital cities for work and education purposes.
  • In contrast, Brisbane had a lower proportion aged 55 years and over (25%) than the rest of the state (32%).

Median age

Sex ratio

South Australia

  • Greater Adelaide had a younger age distribution than the rest of South Australia. 
  • People aged 20 to 44 years made up 34% of the population in Adelaide, compared with 26% in the rest of the state. This is indicative of young adults moving to the capital city for employment or education purposes.
  • There was a lower proportion of people aged 55 years and over in Adelaide (30%) than in the rest of the state (40%).

Median age

Sex ratio

Western Australia

  • Greater Perth had a higher proportion of its population aged 20 to 39 years (28%) than the rest of Western Australia (24%). This is consistent with young adults moving to the capital city for employment or education purposes.
  • There was a lower proportion of people aged 50 years and over in Perth (33%) than in the rest of the state (38%).

Median age

Sex ratio

Tasmania

  • Tasmania had a lower proportion of people aged 20 to 44 years (31%) than Australia as a whole (35%). This in part reflects young adults pursuing education and employment opportunities interstate.
  • Tasmania also had a higher proportion of people aged 55 years and over (34%) than Australia (29%). This partly reflects a trend of adults in this age group moving into the state.

Median age

Sex ratio

Northern Territory

  • A lower proportion of Greater Darwin's population was under 25 years of age (32%) compared with the rest of the Northern Territory (37%).
  • Darwin had a higher proportion of people aged 25 years and over (68%) than the rest of the territory (63%).

Median age

Sex ratio

Australian Capital Territory

  • The Australian Capital Territory had a younger age distribution than Australia as a whole, reflecting the number of young adults who move to the territory for education or employment.
  • People aged 20 to 44 years accounted for 40% of the territory's population, compared with 35% of Australia's population.

Median age

Sex ratio

Interactive maps

Regional population by age - interactive maps

These maps display the proportion of the population aged 0-14, 15-64 and 65+ for SA2s and LGAs.

How to use

Geographic areas

Data downloads

Download all (30.74 MB)

Data cubes

Data files

GeoPackages

Data files

Data Explorer datasets

Caution: Data Explorer can be problematic when trying to view and manipulate large datasets, such as SA2-based or LGA geographies released in this product. Please use the Excel data cubes provided above for these datasets. 

Data in Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the reference period when using Data Explorer.

Population estimates by age and sex, by SA2 and above, 2001 to 2022
Population estimates by age and sex, by LGA, 2001 to 2022
Net internal and overseas migration estimates by age, by SA2 and above, 2021-22

For information on Data Explorer and how it works, see the Data Explorer user guide.

Post-release changes

05/10/2023 - A link to interactive maps showing the proportion of the population aged 0-14, 15-64 and 65+ for SA2s and LGAs was added.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 3235.0.

Methodology

Regional population by age and sex methodology, 2022