In 2010, Australia had a population of 22 342 398: 11 124 254 males and 11 218 144 females. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the south-eastern corner of the continent. It is one of the world’s most urbanized countries, with around 89% of Australians living in urban areas. Australia’s population density of 2.9 people per square kilometre varies greatly across the country, being very low in remote areas and very high in inner-city areas.
Australia's population grew by 1.7% between June 2009 and June 2010, with 57% of that increase due to net overseas migration and 43% due to natural increase (302 200 births and 140 600 deaths). Between 1961 and 2001, Australia’s total fertility rate declined from 3.6 babies per woman to 1.7. The fertility rate for Australian women in 2009 was 1.9 babies per woman. Australia’s population is ageing, with the number of people aged 65 years or more projected to increase from 3 million in 2010 to 8.1 million in 2050; an increase from 13.5% to 22.7% of the total population.
Life expectancy at birth is 81.6 years (79.3 for men and 83.9 for women), one of the highest in the world. Gains in Australia have been primarily due to reduced child and maternal mortality in the early decades of the last century, and improved longevity for other ages, particularly for older people with chronic diseases.
Country health information profile
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Australia, one of the WHO founders, participated in the International Health Conference in 1946, which resutled in the drafting of the WHO constitution, turning over the functions of the Office International d'Hygiene Publique (OIHP) to WHO and setting up of an Interim Commision to prepare for the First World Health Assembly. It joined the WHO on 2 February 1948. The WHO Representative Office in the South Pacific was established on 13 June 1956 in Sydney, Australia before it was transferred to Suva, Fiji in 1965. In May 1999, responsibility over Australia were transferred from the South Pacific Office to the Western Pacific Regional Office under the Office of the Director, Programme Management.
WHO Country Office
Director, Programme Management
World Health Organization
Regional Office for the Western Pacific
United Nations Avenue P.O. Box 2932, 1000 Manila, the Philippines
(632) 5288 001
(632) 3031 000
(632) 5260 279
Department of Health and Ageing
International and Inter-Governmental Policy Branch GPO Box 9848, MDP 85 Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Telephone number:(612) 6289 1555
(612) 6289 7087
|Population (in thousands) ( 2011 )||22323.93|
|Population aged 5-14 years (%) ( 2011 )||12.3|
|Life expectancy at birth (years) ( 2010 )||81.8|
|Under-five mortality rate (per 1000 live births) ( 2010 )||4.9|
|Total health expenditure as % of GDP ( 2009 )||9.03|
|General government health expenditure as % of total government expenditure ( 2009 )||17.81|
|Human development index ( 2010 )||0.937|
|Per capita GDP at current market prices (US$) ( 2010 )||40790|
|Population below national poverty line (%) ( 1997 )||12.2|
|Literacy rate among adults aged >= 15 years (%) ( 2003 )||88.2|
|Maternal mortality ratio (per 100 000 live births) ( 2004 )||8.4|
|Proportion of the population using improved drinking water source ( 2008 )||100|
|Population using improved sanitation facilities (%) ( 2008 )||100|