Special Sub-Topic: Aussie Statistics Authored by: Engadine Sub-topic of: Australia

Are there more 'blokes' than 'sheilas' in Australia?

Yes. But not by much, in 2001 the ABS reported a national population of 9,731,000 Aussie blokes and 9,655,000 Aussie sheilas!

Approximately, what percentage of the Australian population was born elsewhere?

25%. 25% of Aussies were born overseas according to ABS figures from 1996; 13.2% were from Europe, 6.7% from the UK and 5.1% from Asia.

Which capital city in Australia has the highest percentage of their state or territory population living there?

Canberra. 99.9% of inhabitants in the ACT lived in Canberra according to the ABS in 2001 - the fact that the majority of them are 'pollies' probably has something to do with that!

If you're an Aussie, you'd refer to this country as the 'Eastern' state of Australia, however, what percentage of overseas born Australian citizens are actually Kiwis?

8%. The ABS statistics from 2000 state that 8% of all overseas-born Australian citizens were in fact New Zealand-born and the majority had arrived in Australia over the past two decades.

What percentage of migrant arrivals in Australia between 1999 and 2000 were migrants under the Humanitarian Program?

8%. 92,300 people arrived in 'Oz' between 1999 and 2000, the majority, 57%, arriving as part of the Migration Program. 8% arrived as part of the Humanitarian Program, while 34% who were eligible were Kiwis! The rest, 1%, were in other categories.

Which of the following countries had a similar population to Australia in 2001?

Taiwan. Australia's population as at 2001 was approximately 19.2 million. Taiwain's population was approx. 22.2 million; Canada had a population of over 30 million; Singapore a population of just over 4 million and the USA had a huge population, in comparison, of over 275 million!

Which was the least populated state or territory in Australia in 2001?

Northern Territory. According to the ABS, the population of the Northern Territory in 2001 was roughly 200,000. Tasmania's population was nearly 473,000. New South Wales was the most populated state or territory in the country with just over 6.6 million inhabitants and the ACT had a population of nearly 322,000 (that's a lot of 'pollies')!

What age was the average Aussie 'sheila' when she married in 2001?

28+ years. Out of over 100,000 marriages in Australia in 2001, the average age of an Aussie bride was 28.6 years while the average age of an Aussie 'bloke' or groom was 30.6 years.

After marriage, divorce! How many Aussies got divorced as a percentage of the numbers marrying in 2001?

Just over 50%. 55,330 Australian marriages ended in divorce according to the ABS in 2001 and furthermore, the 'hubby' was aged (median) nearly 42 years of age and the 'better half' just over 39 years of age.

How many languages are spoken Australia-wide (including indigenous tongues)?

Over 200. Languages other than English are not only spoken by migrants in Australia, more than 60 different languages are spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The 2001 ABS figures state that 2.8 million people (16% of the population) spoke a language other than English at home.