Melbourne is proving to be the most popular place in Australia, with the latest data showing that the city’s population has again exceeded Sydney’s.
Between 2008 and 2013, not only did Melbourne grow faster (at 11% compared to 8% for Sydney), but it also experienced a larger increase in population at 416,500, compared to 347,500.
Overall, Victoria’s population grew by 483,000 people, or 9.2%, between 2008 and 2013, the fifth fastest growth of all states and territories, behind Western Australia at 16%, Queensland at 10%, Northern Territory and ACT both at 9.5%. The vast majority of this growth, 86%, can be attributed to Melbourne’s increased population.
Whilst the median age of Victorians in 2013 was the same as that of Australia at 37.3 years of age, a number of areas within the state were among the nation’s oldest. They included the coastal areas of Paynesville, with a median age of 57.8 years, Queenscliff at 55.4 and Portarlington at 54.9.
These areas also had high proportions of people aged 65 years and over, and low proportions of working people aged 15 to 64. The coastal areas of Paynesville at 36%, Queenscliff at 34% and Rosebud-McCrae at 32%, had the highest proportions of aged residents in the state.
Around 77% of Victorians of working age lived in Melbourne. The proportions of people aged 15 to 64 years were highest in inner city Melbourne at 94%, Southbank at 90%, Docklands at 88% and Carlton at 88%, reflecting the high number of students and professionals living in these areas.
Overall, the latest regional population numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show just how much variety and contrast there is across the nation.