Search Options

Advanced Data Source Search

Site Search

Search Help

Complete Indicator Listing

Home  >  Demographics & Diversity

Demographics & Diversity

Intro | Gender | Diversity | References 

Introduction

Just over half of the Australian and Victorian population are women. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) demographic information[1] makes available details specific to women. Age, marital status, religious affiliation and country of birth are among these.

Gender

Important facts about women include:

  • Women comprise almost 51% of the Australian population[2].
  • There are twice as many women (230,800) as men (114,100) aged over 85 years[2].
  • Victoria also has 51% women (1,333,435)[3].
  • Just over half of Victorian women are married (52%), with 8% in a de facto marriage[4].
  • The majority of Victorian women were born in Australia (85%)[5].
  • 95% of Victorian women speak English at home[6].
  • 20% of Victorian women have no religion[7]. Those that do are mainly Catholic (26%), Anglican (19%) or belong to the Uniting Church (11%).
  • The primary occupation of Victorian women is ‘clerical or administrative’ (21%) or ‘professional’ (20%)[8].
  • Victorian women are just as likely to work as labourers (11%) as they are managers (12%), and least likely to work as ‘machinery operators and drivers’ (1.4%)[8].

Diversity

Women with disabilities

  • In 2003, one in five Australians had a disability (20.1% women; 19.8% men)[9].
  • Of 2.6 million carers, women accounted for 71% of primary carers and 54% of all carers.

Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds

  • In Victoria, 5.1% of women were born in North-Western Europe; 2% were born in Southern-Eastern Europe[5].
  • Italian is the language most often spoken at home, after English[10].

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women make up 2.3% of all Australian women[11] and 1.2% (8,227) of Victorian women[12].
  • The life expectancy at birth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is 64.8 years compared to 82 years for non-Aboriginal women[13].

Same-sex attracted women

  • In 2001, there were 8,792 female same-sex couples recorded of which 19% had children[14].


top of pageReferences

[1]       Please note that ABS sexed Census Tables, giving itemized and total data only, have been used to extrapolate all sexed percentages. Minor variances may occur and individual Census Tables should be consulted for primary information.

[2]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Age by Sex. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 2068.0 – 2006 Census Tables. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[3]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census QuickStats : Balance of Victoria. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 2061.0 - QuickStats. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2061.0/ 

[4]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Social Marital Status by Age and Sex. Balance of Victoria .Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 2068.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[5]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Country of Birth by Region, Sex and Age. Balance of Victoria. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 2068.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[6]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Language at Home by Sex (Broad Groups). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Balance of Victoria. Cat. No. 2068.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[7]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Religious Affiliation by Sex. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Balance of Victoria.  Cat. No. 2068.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[8]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Occupation by Age and Sex. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Balance of Victoria. Cat. No. 2068.0 – 2006 Census Tables. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[9]       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004) Disability, Ageing and Carers Australia: Summary of Findings, 2003. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Balance of Victoria.  Cat. No. 4430.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4430.0Main+Features12003?OpenDocument

[10]     Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Language at Home by Sex (Narrow Groups). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Balance of Victoria.  Cat. No. 2068.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[11]     Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Indigenous Status by Sex. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 2068.0 – 2006 Census Tables. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[12]     Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Indigenous Status by Sex. Balance of Victoria. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 2068.0 – 2006 Census Tables. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2068.0/

[13]     Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) Year Book Australia 2008. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 1301.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/1301.0Main+Features12008?OpenDocument

[14]     Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005) Year Book Australia 2005. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 1301.0. Viewed 12 March 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/8382A5CD718AA7B0CA2570FC00118529?opendocument