Australia’s national Census was held on Tuesday 10 August 2021. The Census is a snapshot of who we are, what we do, and how we live, and tells the story of how we are changing. It’s used to inform many things, from planning schools, healthcare, and roads, to local services for individuals, families, and communities.
Why your participation is important
The Census provides data on important topics such as populations, rents, mortgages, incomes, religion, languages, housing, and more. It helps governments, businesses, researchers, not-for-profit and community organisations make informed decisions.
Here are just a few of the ways the census data helps:
- the Council of the Ageing (COTA) uses Census data to help understand issues affecting older Australians,
- the Royal Flying Doctor Service uses Census population data to determine what health services are required in rural and remote areas, and
- Crime Stoppers uses Census data to deliver prevention campaigns that help keep communities safe.
Did you know at the last census, 26% of Australians were born overseas?
The ABS recently released new data on the size of Australia’s overseas-born communities. In June 2020 these figures jumped by almost 4% to 29.8% or 7.65 million born overseas. Since the last Census, the total number of Chinese and Indian born Australians overtook New Zealand born, to now be the second and third largest overseas-born Australian populations. During this period, the proportion of Nepalese-born Australians jumped over 123%, whilst the Italian and Greek-born populations dropped by almost 10% each.
As demographer Simone Alexander[1] explains, what these figures don’t tell us are details like their age, which suburbs they live in, and whether they are here temporarily or have relocated permanently. This detailed information, collected through the Census, is vital in helping to plan services for our multicultural communities.
With all the border closures and international travel restrictions due to COVID, it will be interesting to see the impact of these changes in the 2021 Census!
[1] http://demogblog.blogspot.com/2021/05/australias-migrant-communities-in-2020.html
Disclaimer:
The articles in this newsletter are of a general nature only and are not to be taken as recommendations as they might be unsuited to your specific circumstances. The contents herein do not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any person and should not be used as the basis for making any financial or other decisions. Your Lifespan adviser or other professional advisers should be consulted prior to acting on this information. This disclaimer is intended to exclude any liability for loss because of acting on the information or opinions expressed.