WE'RE getting older - not just individually but as a nation. Australia's aged population has increased by almost 20 per cent since 2010, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
There were 2.2 million people aged 65 years and over living in Australia’s capital cities in 2015 (up from 1.8 million in 2010) and 1.4 million living areas outside our capitals (up from 1.2 million in 2010).
Hobart has the oldest population of any Australian capital city with a median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) was 39.8 years at June 2015, compared to 37.4 years for Australia.
Adelaide was the next oldest capital (38.8 years) followed by Sydney (36.1) and Melbourne (36.0). Darwin was the youngest capital city (33.3).
The residents of Tea Gardens – Hawks Nest, near Port Stephens on the New South Wales coast, were officially Australia’s oldest, with a median age of 61.0 years in 2015.
People living in Tuncurry, on the NSW mid north coast, were the next oldest (59.7 years), followed by residents of Bribie Island in Queensland (59.3), Paynesville in Victoria’s Gippsland region (59.0) and Victor Harbor on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula (58.1).
“The older populations in these areas reflect a preference among many Australians to retire to coastal and rural parts of the country," said ABS Director of Demography Beidar Cho.
People aged 65 years and over contributed to more than 60 per cent of population growth in areas outside of capital cities between 2010 and 2015.
For more information Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia, 2015 (cat. no. 3235.0), available for free download from the ABS website:http://www.abs.gov.au
