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AustraliaPopulation forecast

Western Australia

Population and age structure

Between 2021 and 2031, the age structure forecasts for Western Australia indicate a 4.6% increase in population under working age, a 38.8% increase in population of retirement age, and a 15.3% increase in population of working age.

Knowledge of how the age structure of the population is changing is essential for planning age-based facilities and services, such as child care, recreation and aged care.

The forecast age groups of Australia is a function of the current age of the population (people aging each year, being born and dying) as well as the age of people migrating into and out of the area. This in turn is driven by location (fringe, city centre, regional or rural) the existing housing stock (separate dwellings, medium or high density), the amount and type of new residential development (same as existing stock, or diversifying) and where the area is in a cycle of change. We call this the area’s residential role and function.

Forecast age structure - Service age groups
Western Australia - Total persons202120312041Change between 2021 and 2041
Age group (years)Number%Number%Number%Number
Babies and pre-schoolers (0 to 4)170,8796.2180,1345.6207,1355.7+36,256
Primary schoolers (5 to 11)252,2359.2259,3878.1281,7667.7+29,531
Secondary schoolers (12 to 17)204,5597.4233,2197.3239,6476.6+35,088
Tertiary education and independence (18 to 24)227,9168.3295,2339.2307,1978.4+79,281
Young workforce (25 to 34)391,23314.2437,92513.6524,71914.4+133,486
Parents and homebuilders (35 to 49)572,12320.8666,71920.7715,54519.6+143,422
Older workers and pre-retirees (50 to 59)345,11212.6369,07611.5450,28712.3+105,175
Empty nesters and retirees (60 to 69)287,16010.4336,00710.4358,6219.8+71,461
Seniors (70 to 84)248,1649.0356,89211.1431,77311.8+183,609
Elderly aged (85 and over)50,4831.881,2442.5137,5053.8+87,022
Total persons2,749,864100.03,215,836100.03,654,195100.0+904,331
Source: .id SAFi National to State tops-down forecast, 5.1.0, published May 2023. Prepared by .id (informed decisions)

Key findings

In 2021, the dominant age structure for persons in Western Australia was ages Parents and homebuilders (35 to 49), which accounted for 20.8% of the total persons.

The largest increase in persons between 2021 and 2031 is forecast to be in ages Seniors (70 to 84), which is expected to increase by 108,728 and account for 11.1% of the total persons.

The largest 5 year age group in 2031 is Parents and homebuilders (35 to 49) years, with a total of 666,719 persons.

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