STATISTICS: AUSTRALIA

Australia Official name: Commonwealth of Australia. Form of government: federal parliamentary state (formally a constitutional monarchy) with two legislative houses (Senate ; House of Representatives ). Chief of state: British Monarch represented by Governor-General. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Canberra. Official language: English. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = $A 1.70; 1 = $A 2.89. Demography Population (1998): 18,725,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 6.3, persons per sq km 2.4. Urban-rural (1996): urban 85.0%; rural 15.0%. Sex distribution (1996): male 49.46%; female 50.54%. Age breakdown (1996): under 15, 21.6%; 15-24, 14.5%; 25-44, 30.8%; 45-64, 21.0%; 65 and over, 12.1%. Population projection: (2000) 19,117,000; (2010) 21,018,000. Doubling time: 99 years. Ethnic composition (1996): white 95.2%; aboriginal 2.0%; Asian 1.3%; other 1.5%. Religious affiliation (1991): Christian 74.0%, of which Roman Catholic 27.3%, Anglican Church of Australia 23.9%, other Protestant 19.2% (Uniting Church and Methodist 8.2%, Presbyterian 4.3%), Orthodox 2.8%, other Christian 0.8%; Muslim 0.9%; Buddhist 0.8%; Jewish 0.4%; no religion 12.9%; other 11.0%. Major cities (1995): Sydney 3,772,700; Melbourne 3,218,100; Brisbane 1,489,100; Perth 1,262,600; Adelaide 1,081,000; Newcastle 466,000; Canberra-Queanbeyan 331,800; Gold Coast-Tweed 326,900; Wollongong 253,600; Hobart 194,700. Place of birth (1996): 73.9% native-born; 26.1% foreign-born, of which Europe 12.4% (United Kingdom 6.3%{1}, Italy 1.3%, Greece 0.7%, Germany 0.6%, The Netherlands 0.5%, other Europe 3.0%), Asia and Middle East 5.6%, New Zealand 1.6%, Africa, the Americas, and other 6.5%. Mobility (1995-96). Population age 15 and over living in the same residence as in 1994: 81.6%; different residence between states, regions, and neighbourhoods 18.4%. Households (1993-94). Total number of households 6,616,800. Average household size 2.6; 1 person 21.8%, couples only 25.8%, couples with dependent children only 23.7%, nonfamily members 12.4%, single parent with children 6.6%, other 9.7%. Immigration (1996): permanent immigrants admitted 96,970, from United Kingdom and Ireland 12.8%, New Zealand 11.8%, China 7.6%, Vietnam 4.8%, Hong Kong 4.6%, India 4.4%, Philippines 3.9%, South Africa 3.2%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.2%, Yugoslavia 3.1%, Sri Lanka 2.2%. Refugee arrivals (1994-95): 13,600. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996): 14.1 (world avg. 25.0); (1993) legitimate 75.0%; illegitimate 25.0%. Death rate per 1,000 population (1996): 6.9 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): 7.2 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1996): 1.82. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1996): 6.0. Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1996): 2.7. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 75.4 years; female 81.1 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1995): diseases of the circulatory system 296.0; cancers 190.0; respiratory diseases 52.0; accidents, poisoning, and violence 41.0; endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 23.0; digestive system diseases 21.0; nervous system diseases 17.0. Social indicators Educational attainment (1995). Percentage of population age 15 to 64 having: no formal schooling 0.3%; incomplete secondary education 36.3%; completed secondary 17.8%{2}{3}; postsecondary, technical, or other certificate/diploma 33.7%; university 11.9%. Quality of working life (1995-96). Average workweek: 40.5 hours (16.8%{3} overtime). Annual rate per 100,000 workers for: accidental injury and industrial disease, 3,200{4}; death, n.a. Proportion of employed persons insured for damages or income loss resulting from: injury 100%{4}; permanent disability 100%{4}; death 100%{4}. Working days lost to industrial disputes per 1,000 employees (1995): 79. Means of transportation to work (1986): private automobile 69.4%; public transportation 10.1%; motorcycle and bicycle 3.2%; foot 6.6%; other 10.7%. Discouraged job seekers (considered by employers to be too young or too old, having language or training limitations, or no vacancies in line of work; 1995): 1.3% of labour force. Access to services (1976). Proportion of dwellings having access to: electricity 99.5%; bathroom 96.0%; flush toilet 92.2%; kitchen 97.9%; public sewer 73.4%. Social participation. Eligible voters participating in last national election (1996): 95.8%; voting is compulsory. Population age 16 and over participating in voluntary work: n.a. Trade union membership in total workforce (1996): 31%. Social deviance (1996). Offense rate per 100,000 population for: murder 3.8; sexual assault 78.7; assault 620.8; auto theft 672.2; unarmed robbery, burglary, and housebreaking 4,608.2; armed robbery 34.0. Incidence per 100,000 in general population of: alcoholism, n.a.; prisoners with drug offenses (1994) 8.8; suicide (1995) 13.1. Material well-being (1995). Households possessing: automobile 85%; telephone 95%; refrigerator 99.7%; air conditioner 32.3%{5}; personal computers 23.0%{3}; washing machine 90.0%; central heating 3.9%{5}; swimming pool 10.1%{5}. National economy Gross national product (1996): U.S.$367,802,000,000 (U.S.$20,090 per capita). Budget (1996-97). Revenue: $A 130,160,000,000 (income tax 71.2%, of which individual 50.7%, corporate 15.1%; excise duties and sales tax 21.0%). Expenditures: $A 129,686,000,000 (social security and welfare 37.7%; health 15.0%; economic and public services 12.7%; transfers to state governments 12.9%; interest on public debt 7.5%). Public debt (1996-97): $A 96,453,000,000. Tourism (1996): receipts from visitors U.S.$8,127,500,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$5,038,800,000. Production (gross value in $A '000 except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1995-96): livestock slaughtered 6,066,400 (cattle 3,474,300, sheep and lambs 1,005,000, poultry 964,600, pigs 589,200); wheat 4,602,000, wool 2,686,800, barley 1,347,000, sugarcane 1,319,700, cotton 851,000{6}, grapes 680,600, potatoes 378,000{6}, oats 311,000{6}, apples 269,800{6}, bananas 254,700{6}, sorghum 242,000{6}, oranges 214,800{6}, rice 216,000{6}, tomatoes 166,000{6}, carrots 133,000{6}, pears 73,400{6}, onions 54,100, peaches 50,000{6}, pineapples 43,300{6}, corn (maize) 41,000, tobacco 40,000{6}, cauliflower 33,700{4}; livestock (number of live animals; 1997) 121,900,000 sheep, 26,250,000 cattle, 2,410,000 pigs, 73,509,000 poultry; roundwood (1995) 22,458,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 219,499 metric tons. Mining and quarrying (metric tons [tons of contained metal]; 1995-96): iron ore 142,936,000; bauxite 42,655,000; zinc 930,000; lead 455,000; copper 437,000; tin 8,175; gold 253,504 kg; diamonds 40,693,000 carats. Manufacturing (value added in U.S.$'000,000 except as noted; 1994): food products 10,043; transport equipment 5,860; metal products 5,234; printing and publishing 4,946: non-ferrous metals 4,624; woven woolen cloth 8,624,000 sq m{6}. Construction (buildings completed, by value in $A '000; 1995-96): new dwellings 12,105,700; alterations and additions to dwellings 2,283,500; nonresidential 10,728,400. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 167,151,000,000 (167,151,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1994) 176,078,000 (52,678,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 1994) 159,160,000 (202,490,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) 33,086,000 (33,707,000); natural gas (cu m; 1994) 25,185,000,000 (17,438,000,000). Population economically active (1995-96): total 9,066,400; activity rate of total population 49.9% (participation rates: over age 15, 63.7%; female 42.9%; unemployed 8.5%). Household income and expenditure (1993-94). Average household size 2.6; average annual income per household $A 37,700 (U.S.$27,585); sources of income: wages and salaries 72.7%, transfer payments 13.0%, self-employment 7.5%, other 6.8%; expenditure: food and beverages 18.7%, transportation and communications 15.3%, housing 13.9%, recreation 13.3%, household durable goods 6.6%, clothing and footwear 5.7%, health 4.6%, energy 2.8%, other 19.1%. Land use (1995): agricultural and under permanent cultivation 6.3%; other 93.7% (of which, meadows and pastures 54.2%). Foreign trade Imports (1995-96): $A 77,819,000,000 (machinery 33.4%, of which office machines and automatic data-processing equipment 7.7%; basic manufactures 14.2%, of which textile yarn and fabrics 3.0%, paper and paper products 2.5%, iron and steel 1.8%; transport equipment 13.5%, of which road motor vehicles 10.2%; chemicals and related products 11.4%; mineral fuels and lubricants 5.5%; food and live animals 3.7%; crude materials [inedible] excluding fuels 2.0%; beverages and tobacco 0.6%). Major import sources: U.S. 22.6%; Japan 13.9%; U.K. 6.3%; Germany 6.2%; China 5.1%. Exports (1995-96): $A 75,999,000,000 (food and live animals 20.1%, of which cereals and cereal preparations 6.5%, meat and meat preparations 4.3%, sugar, sugar preparations, and honey 2.3%, dairy products 2.2%, crude materials excluding fuels 19.4%, of which metalliferous ores and metal scrap 11.4%, textile fibres and their waste 5.3%; mineral fuels and lubricants 16.6%, of which coal, coke, and briquettes 10.3%, petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas 4.2%; basic manufactures 12.9%). Major export destinations: Japan 21.6%; South Korea 8.7%; New Zealand 7.4%; U.S. 6.0%; China 5.0%, Singapore 4.7%; Taiwan 4.5%; Hong Kong 4.0%. Transport Transport. Railroads{7}: route length (1995) 22,385 mi, 36,026 km; passenger journeys 407,170,000{3}; short ton-mi cargo 67,716,000,000{8}{9}, metric ton-km cargo 98,864,000{8}{9}. Roads (1995): total length 556,145 mi, 895,030 km (paved 38.6%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 8,370,000; trucks and buses 2,640,300. Merchant marine (1994): vessels (150 gross tons and over) 90; total deadweight tonnage 3,499,527. Air transport (1996){10}: passenger-mi 44,687,000,000, passenger-km 71,917,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 1,257,000,000, metric ton-km cargo 1,836,000,000; airports (1996) with scheduled flights 400. Education and health Literacy (1996): total population literate, virtually 100%{11}. Health: physicians (1995-96) 45,800 (1 per 400 persons); hospital beds (1994-95) 77,494 (1 per 226 persons); infant mortality rate (1996) 5.7. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 3,068 (vegetable products 66%, animal products 34%); 115% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 57,400 (army 44.3%, navy 24.9%, air force 30.8%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 2.5% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$465. {1} Includes both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. {2} Completed highest level of secondary school available. {3} 1994. {4} 1992-93. {5} 1983. {6} 1994-95. {7} Government railways only. {8} 1995-96. {9} Includes government and private freight. {10} Includes Qantas and Ansett Australia. {11} A national survey conducted in 1996 put the number of persons who had very poor literacy and numeracy skills at about 17% of the total population (age 15 to 64).