This month: The world population is expected to reach 8 billion by November (United Nations), and the latest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population data is now available.

Releases in August

If you are interested in any of the forthcoming releases or datasets, please contact the Parliamentary Library to discuss in more detail.

Please contact the Parliamentary Library if you would like to see further information on any of these releases. Note: Release dates may be subject to change without notice.

After the latest key economic statistics? Visit the Parliamentary Library’s new Dashboard: Key Economic and Social Indicators Dashboard

Recent reports

2021 Census of Population and Housing: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population Summary (ABS)

In summary:

• In Australia, 812,000 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in the 2021 Census of Population and Housing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represented 3.2% of the population. This was up from 2.8% in 2016 and 2.5% in 2011.
• The median age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people increased over the last 10 years. In 2021 the median age was 24 years, up from 23 years in 2016 and 21 years in 2011.
• In 2021, the largest proportion of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population lived in New South Wales (34.2%) and Queensland (29.2%).

Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)

• Agricultural commodities and Trade Data, June 2022
• Agricultural Overview, June quarter 2022
• Economic Overview, June quarter 2022
• Outlook for Crops, June quarter 2022
• Outlook for Livestock, June quarter 2022
• Seasonal Conditions, June quarter 2022
• Weekly Commodity Price update

Department of Industry, Science and Resources

• Resources and Energy Quarterly, June 2022

Statistics of the Month

United Nations Population Fund: Population 2022

The world’s population is projected to reach 8 billion on the 15 November 2022, from an estimated 2.5 billion in 1950. It took around 37 years since 1950 for the population to double, surpassing 5 billion inhabitants in 1987. It is estimated that more than 70 years will be required for the global population to double again.

The latest projects from the United Nations suggest that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100. More than half of the projected increase between 2022 and 2050 is expected to be concentrated in just 8 countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania. 

The World Population Prospects, 2022 report, highlighted the following:

• Population growth is caused in part by declining levels of mortality, as reflected in increased levels of life expectancy at birth. Globally, life expectancy reached 72.8 years in 2019, an increase of almost 9 years since 1990. Further reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average longevity of around 77.2 years globally in 2050. The world’s population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.
• India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country during 2023.
• The share of the global population aged 65 years or above is projected to rise from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050. Population growth at older ages is driven by lower mortality and increased survival, while an upward shift in the population age distribution is caused by a sustained drop in the fertility level.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all components of population change, including fertility, mortality and migration.

• Global life expectancy at birth fell to 71.0 years in 2021, down from 72.8 in 2019, due mostly to the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
• The pandemic’s impact on life expectancy has varied across regions and countries. In Central and Southern Asia and in Latin America and the Caribbean, life expectancy at birth fell by almost 3 years between 2019 and 2021. By contrast, the combined population of Australia and New Zealand gained 1.2 years due to lower mortality risks during the pandemic for some causes of death.

Interested in finding out what the latest statistics are telling us about the Australian economy and population? Each month the Parliamentary Library will publish a Flag Post listing new reports on a wide variety of topics. The list will include important upcoming releases from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) as well as other research organisations and government departments.