Policy Context

Understanding the age demographic of a particular area can help formulate tailored policies and interventions that align with the needs of that specific region.¹ Growing populations can put pressure on existing services, infrastructure and  institutions. Factoring projected population growth into planning processes enables organisations and governments to anticipate future demand, helping to mitigate shortages and constgrains before they arise.

Population projection data uses trends in historical population data to hypothesise future rates of persons by sex in 5-year age intervals of 0-24 from the current year to 2032 calculating a numerical value for how many people in a particular age range reside within an area for that year.² These projections are then applied spatially to showcase where these children may reside across communities and regions within Australia.

Governments and organisations use these data for local planning to ensure that their services accommodate growing populations so that all future children have access to essential services and infrastructure including hospitals, schools, community and recreation spaces for their health and wellbeing.