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Home > State of Our Health > Chapter 1 - Demographic profile > 1-1. Population

1-1. Population

1-1-1. Population by region

1-1-2. Population by age and sex

Sources

 

At 30 June 2018, the estimated resident population of South Australia was just above 1.7 million people, representing about one in 14 (6.9%) of the total Australian population (25.0 million people).1

Over the decade 2008-2018, South Australia's population has grown by about 150,000 people, or an average 0.9% per year. This is less than the 1.7% annualised growth rate over the same period for Australia as a whole.1

Roughly speaking, out of every ten people that have joined the South Australian community over this time, around eight came via net overseas migration and five through natural increase, offset by three lost to net interstate migration.2

As at the 2016 Census, the estimated resident Aboriginal population of South Australia was 34,185 people, representing 2.0% of the 2016 state population.3

 

1-1-1. Population by region

  • Over a quarter of South Australia's population live outside of metropolitan Adelaide.
  • Over the last decade, Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network has had the fastest growing population.

SA Health divides South Australia into local health networks (LHNs) to manage the delivery of public hospital services, and other community based health services, as determined by the South Australian state government. LHNs comprise single or groups of public hospitals, and have a geographical or functional connection.

The LHNs are accountable to the state government for performance management and planning.

In 2018, over a quarter (28.9%) of South Australia's population lived outside of metropolitan Adelaide, very slightly lower than a decade earlier. Since 2008, the biggest percentage increase in population growth amongst South Australia's Local Health Networks has been in the Barossa Hills Fleurieu LHN (up 14.4%).1

 

Estimated Resident Population, 2018 and 2008
Local Health Network no. persons, 2018 % persons, 2018 no. persons, 2008 % persons, 2008
Northern Adelaide 402,441 23.2% 353,990 22.3%
Central Adelaide 464,692 26.8% 428,254 27.0%
Southern Adelaide 367,837 21.2% 338,732 21.3%
Metropolitan Adelaide 1,234,970 71.1% 1,120,976 70.6%
Barossa Hills Fleurieu 200,663 11.6% 175,444 11.0%
Eyre and Far North 40,446 2.3% 39,069 2.5%
Flinders and Upper North 44,314 2.6% 46,450 2.9%
Limestone Coast 72,339 4.2% 64,069 4.0%
Riverland Mallee Coorong 66,863 4.4% 68,893 4.3%
Yorke & Northern 76,837 4.4% 73,764 4.6%
Country Health SA 501,452 28.9% 467,689 29.4%
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1,736,422 100.0% 1,588,665 100.0%
         
AUSTRALIA 24,992,860   21,249,199  

 Data source: ABS 2019a

 

1-1-2. Population by age and sex

  • South Australia has an older population than Australia generally.

South Australia has an older population than Australia overall. In 2016, an estimated 18.3% of South Australians were aged 65 years or over, compared to 15.0% for the Australian population as a whole. Proportionally more of the 65 years and older population are female than male.3

The age-sex profile of the Aboriginal population in South Australia is substantially different than the state’s population overall. As at the 2016 Census, over half (52.6%) of all Aboriginal people in South Australia were aged under 25 years compared to 29.9% of the overall South Australian population. Proportionally, 4.6% of Aboriginal people in South Australia were aged 65 years and over in 2016, compared to 18.3% of the state’s total population. This structural difference is also evident in the large gaps in estimated median ages between the Aboriginal and state population.3

 

Estimated median age (years) by sex and region, 2016

Region males females persons
South Australia - all 40 42 41
South Australia - Aboriginal people 23 24 24
Australia - all 37 39 38

 Data source: ABS 2017

 

South Australian population by age, sex and Aboriginal status, 2016

1 1 2 2019 10 01

 

Sources

  1. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019a), ‘ERP by SA2 and above (ASGS 2016), 2001 onwards'  ABS.Stat (beta), viewed 9 September 2019.
  2. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019b), 'TABLE 2. Population Change, Components - States and Territories (Number)', Australian Demographic Statistics, cat. no. 3101.0, viewed 13 September 2019.
  3. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2017), ‘Census 2016, Indigenous Status by Age by Sex (SA2+)'  ABS.Stat (beta), viewed 12 September 2019.