24 Apr A Snapshot of Australia References
What does the average Australian household look like? What age do we have children? Check out our free printable – a snapshot of Australia.
Download the infographic here and read below for our references
Australia has 5.58 million families
Average household size: 2.6 people
- 37.8% couples without children
- 36.7% couples with dependent children
- 10.6% one-parent families with dependent children
- 7.9% couples with non-dependent children only
- 5.3% one parent families with non-dependent children only
These statistics are from the Living Arrangement Projections by type section, of the Household & Family Projections, 2011-2036 study on the Australian Bureau of Statistics
- 71% of children under 15 live with two biological or adoptive parents.
- 19% of children live with a single mother.
- 2% of children live with a single father.
- 82% of children are born into two-parent families, but only 53% live with both biological parents by age 17.
- In 2011, more than half (53%) of 21-year-olds and 25% of 25-year-olds were living at home with their parents.
These statistics are from the Living Arrangement Projections by age group section, of the Household & Family Projections, 2011-2036 study
Where We’re From
Top 5 countries of birth (other than Australia)
- United Kingdom 5%
- New Zealand 2.5%
- China 2.2%
- India 1.9%
- Philippines 1%
These statistics are from the Over 28 per cent of Australians born overseas section, of the Migration Australia 2015-16 study
28.5% of Australian residents were born overseas.
Australia’s 2014–15 Humanitarian Programme granted 13,756 visas, comprised of 11,009 under the offshore resettlement component and 2747 under the onshore protection component. Of the 6002 Refugee visas granted in 2014/15, 16.8% were women at risk.
These statistics are from the Outcomes of 2014-15 section, of the Australian Refugee and Humanitarian Programme fact sheet
Parents and Babies
Just-released 2016 Australian Census data shows that the ‘typical’ Australian is a 38-year-old woman with two kids, living in a 3-bedroom house with 2 cars. She does 5-14 hours a week of domestic work; the ‘typical’ male does less than 5.
This information is from Census reveals the ‘typical’ Australian media release
- Average mother’s age at birth of first child: 29 yrs
- Percentage of women over 30 having their first child rose from 23% (1991) to 43% in 2012.
These statistics are from Some Basic Facts about Australian Families summary, by the Australian Institute of Family Studies
- Fertility rate 2012: 1.93
- Peak fertility rate: 3.55 in 1961
- Since 1961, the fertility rate has steadily declined and has been below replacement levels since 1976.
- Lowest fertility: 1.74 in 2001
85% of Australian mothers claim too many people offer unsolicited fertility tips (half of Australian mother-in-laws do it, as do 47% of strangers).
This information is from Births in Australia summary, by the Australian Institute of Family Studies
Health & Wellbeing
Infant mortality rates Indigenous: 6.2 deaths per 1000 live births, Non-Indigenous: 3.7 deaths per 1000 live births.
These statistics are from The Gap, Indigenous Disadvantage in Australia
- 15,000 reported cases of neglect
- 9,900 reported cases of physical abuse
- 5,800 reported cases of sexual abuse
Data is limited to only those who come into contact with children’s services agencies; actual cases will be higher.
- 1-in-5 children have an undetected vision problem
This statistic is from the Eye health summary, on the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare website
In 2016, an estimated 650 children aged up to 14 years were newly diagnosed with cancer (365 boys and 285 girls). Over the last 30 years, cancer rates in children up to 14 years rose by about 11%, but cancer death rates decreased by about 60%.
These statistics are from The Children’s Cancer statistics page, on the Australian Government Cancer Australia website
- 58,000 children, 0-14 years are hospitalised and 250 children die each year due to accidental injuries.
These statistics are from the Australian Red Cross, found on page 14 in the April 2017 (Issue 74) issue of Northshore Living
Almost 1-in-7 children, 4-17 years, experienced a mental health disorder in 2016 (almost 560,000 kids).
This statistic is from Page 16 of The Mental Health of Children & Adolescents, by the Australian Government
- Substantial claims of emotional abuse against children 0-17 years: 17,600 in 2011-12
- Emotional abuse is the most common form of abuse claims against children in Australia.
These statistics are from the Emotional abuse against children section, of the Australian Social Trends 2014 study
Over 80% of Australians seek health information online and almost 40% look online for self-treatment.
This statistic is from About page, on Health Direct
Back-to-School Costs
Spend per primary school child per year (school shoes, uniforms, books and stationery):
- QLD: $346
- SA: $344
- VIC: $327
- NT: $324
- TAS: $309
- WA: $304
- NSW: $286
Do parents feel stressed about the $ they spend on back-to-school items?
- Yes 60%
- No 40%
These statistics are from 2013 Back to School spending survey, by Heritage Bank
Sport
Nearly 3.2 million kids under 14 (69%) played sport in 2016 (peaking at 87% for 9- to 11-year-old boys and 92% for girls). However, only 54% played at least once a week, and only 19% at least three times per week.
These statistics are from the AusPlay participation data for the sports sector, by the Australian Sports Commission
Six most popular sports played by 6-13-year-olds:
- Swimming 48.8%
- Soccer 48.7%
- Cycling 37.7%
- Athletics 31.7%
- Basketball 30.5%
- Dancing 30.3%
These statistics are from a 2015 Roy Morgan research report on The Top 20 sports played by Aussies young and old(er)
Free Time
Children have four hours less play time (18.5 hours) per week than their parents’ generation (22.5 hours). 2-in-3 people (64%) choose spending time with family as their favourite activity.
These statistics are from the 2017 World Play Shortage Report presented by Beko
Media
Australian kids aged 6-13 years now spend more time using the Internet (almost 12 hrs/week) than watching television (10.5 hrs). However, almost 30% of kids’ internet usage is done outside the home, at school or elsewhere (when TV isn’t an option). At home, kids spend almost 8½ hrs a week on the Internet – around two hours less than watching TV.
These statistics are from a 2017 Roy Morgan research report on Kids now spend more time online than watching TV
Words by Daisy Chein / Illustrations: Jess Chen
