Population and age structure
2011 Census fact sheets
How does Canberra compare?
Issue #12 April 2013
Over 14 million Australians lived in capital cities at the time of the 2011 Census.
This represented 65.2 per cent of the Australian population. Around 2.6 per cent
of Australian capital city dwellers lived in Canberra.
Canberra had the third lowest population of Australia’s capital
cities, after Darwin and Hobart
Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs)
have been defined in the Australian Statistical
Geography Standard. GCCSAs are designed to
represent a socio-economic definition of each of
the eight State and Territory capital cities. As
such, the boundaries of these GCCSAs include
people who regularly socialise, shop or work
within the city, but live in the small towns and
rural areas surrounding the city. The GCCSA
does not reflect the built up edge of the city.
In total, there are 34 GCCSAs with variable
population. This includes the eight state and
territory capital cities, the seven rest of state
regions (for ACT, the GCCSA covers the whole
area) and one for the Other Territories of Jervis
Bay, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling)
Islands. In addition there are non-spatial GCCSAs
for Migratory-Offshore-Shipping and No Usual
Address for each State and Territory.
At the time of the 2011 Census,
360,550 people were usual
residents of Canberra,
representing 2.6 per cent of all
Australian usual residents living in
Australian capital cities and
1.7 per cent of the total
Australian population.
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sydney (4.4 million) and Melbourne (4.0 million) were the capital cities with
the largest number of usual residents at 2011. Together they accounted for
61.1 per cent of the total capital city population.
Population growth in Canberra doubled in the second half of the
decade to 2011
Over the decade to 2011, the population in capital cities (15.9 per cent
increase) grew faster than the Australian population (14.5 per cent increase). In
total, an additional 1.9 million people became capital city residents between
2001 and 2011 accounting for 70.7 per cent of Australia’s total population
growth during this period.
Rate of population increase, capital cities, 2001-2011
Perth (up 23.6 per cent) and
25
Brisbane (up 23.2 per cent)
23
21
recorded the fastest
19
17
population increases over the
15
13
decade to 2011. Darwin
11
(18.7 per cent) and
9
7
Melbourne (17.6 per cent)
ranked next fastest, while the
ACT was the fifth fastest
growing capital city (up 15.6 per cent). Growth in the capital cities increased in
the latter half of the decade with growth in the ACT increasing from
5.1 per cent (2001-2006) to 10.0 per cent (2006-2011).
Per cent increase 2001-11
What is a Greater Capital City
Statistical Area?
Per cent of total capital city population
Distribution of Australia's capital city population, 2011
35
ACT recorded higher levels of mobility than elsewhere
Seven out of every ten people
In migrants between 2006-2011 as a
(69.3 per cent) who were usual
proportion of 2011 usual residents
residents of the ACT in 2011 had
Excludes people still resident in the
ACT, those who did not state a
lived there in 2006
response and those aged less than
five years
(247,722 people – excluding those
aged less than five years). Nearly two
out of every ten ACT residents in
2011 (19.2 per cent) moved from
elsewhere. This was the second
What is a usual resident?
The Census asks where you usually lived on Census highest level of in-migration after the
Northern Territory (20.0 per cent).
night. It may or may not be the place where you
were counted. Overseas visitors who are visiting
All data on this factsheet is sourced from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing, available
Australia for less than one year are able to be
for analysis from the ABS website (see www.abs.gov.au)
identified separately.
Percent of 2011 usual residents
25
20
15
10
5
0
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Canberra is a young city
2011 Census fact sheets
Issue #12 April 2013
Age profiles of the capital cities
Despite some apparent similarities, there are marked differences in the age structure of Australia’s capital cities. Canberra for
example has one-third (33.9 per cent) of residents aged less than 25 years – the third youngest capital city after
Darwin (35.5 per cent) and Brisbane (34.6 per cent). Canberra (55.4 per cent) has the second largest proportion of the population in
the main working ages between 25 and 64 years, after Darwin (58.1 per cent). However both Canberra (10.7 per cent) and Darwin
(6.3 per cent) have relatively small shares of the population aged 65 years or more. Adelaide and Hobart are the oldest capitals with
15.5 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively of their populations aged 65 years or more.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act
1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from
the Territory Records Office, Community and Infrastructure Services, Territory and
Municipal Services, ACT Government, GPO Box 158, Canberra City ACT 2601.
Reference
Enquiries about this publication should be directed to:
Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ACT Government
1.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011. Glossary of
Statistical Geography Terminology, 2011,
Catalogue Number 1217.0.55.001
actdemography@act.gov.au
2.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011. Census
Dictionary Australia, Catalogue Number 2901.0
http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/policystrategic/actstats
© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2013