Australian bureau of statistics explained Demographic Concept
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Place Forecast Feature
- Population
- State or Territory Forecast Dataset
- Fertility Rate
- In-migration Rate
- Enumerated Population Rate
- In-migration
- Statistical Area 1 Forecast Dataset
- Enumerated Population
- Statistical Area 2 Forecast Dataset
- Suburb or Locality Forecast Dataset
- Dwelling Occupancy
- Dwelling Privacy
- Mortality Rate
- Dwelling Structure
- Birthplace
- Area
- Axiomatic Dataset
- Birth
- Building Approval
- Census Dwelling
- Ancestry
- Component Total Forecast Dataset
- Out-migration Rate
- Death
- Dwelling
- Estimated Birth Forecast Dataset
- Estimated Building by State Forecast Dataset
- Estimated Building by Statistical Area 1 Forecast Dataset
- Estimated Census Dwelling Forecast Dataset
- Estimated Enumerated Population Forecast Dataset
- Estimated Death Forecast Dataset
- Estimated in Migration Forecast Dataset
- Estimated Resident Population Forecast Dataset
- Local Government Area Forecast Dataset
- Out-migration
- Mesh Block Forecast Dataset
- Children Ever Born
- Language at Home
- Citizenship
- Marital Status
- Overseas Arrivals
- Social Marital Status
- Country of Birth of Parents
- First Nations
- Family Blending
- Proficiency in English
- Religion
- Household Type
- Same-sex Couple Family
Place Forecast Concept
Demographic Concept
- ABS Religious Affiliation Standard Classification
- Post Enumeration Survey
- Cohort-component Method
- Estimated Resident Population
- Estimate
- Census Not Stated
- Detached Dwelling
- Medium or High Density Dwelling
- LGA Anchoring
- Age
- Unoccupied Dwelling
- Sex
- State or Territory
- Statistical Area 1
- Small Area
- Statistical Area 2
- Resident Population
- Jump-off Year
- Local Government Area
- Mesh Block
- Net Overseas Migration
- Non Private Dwelling
- Occupied Dwelling
- Private Dwelling
- Census
- Census Count
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
- Perturbation
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is where we get our official data about people and housing in this country. It was set up by the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975. For our work, it gives us counts of people, births, deaths, moves, and projections.
Census
Every five years the ABS runs the Census. It aims to count every person in the country on one night. It records age, sex, where people live, housing, work, income, and more.
No census counts everyone. The ABS runs a Post Enumeration Survey after each one to measure the gap. The ABS then fixes the count.
Estimates and Projections
The ABS works out how many people live in the whole country, each state, and smaller areas. These figures are updated every three months. They use a simple formula: start with the last count, add births, take away deaths, then add net moves (both from abroad and between states).
The ABS also puts out projections. These show how the number of people might change based on assumed trends in births, deaths, and moves. They are not forecasts. The current set runs from 2022 to 2071 with High, Medium, and Low series. The ABS does this at state level. Smaller areas are left to groups like Place Forecast.
Birth, Death, and Migration Data
The ABS puts together birth and death numbers from state records.
Net overseas moves come from travel records.
Moves within the country are tracked using Medicare address changes and Defence Force data. The ABS checks these against Census data.
Areas and Boundaries
The ABS keeps the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). It is now in its third edition (2021). The ASGS sets out areas in layers. The smallest is the Mesh Block, with 30 to 60 dwellings. Above that sit SA1, SA2, SA3, and SA4. Then come states and the whole country. Each layer fits inside the one above it. Local government areas sit outside the ASGS. This makes it easy to add up numbers at any level.
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975 (Cth)
- ABS Geography Standard (ASGS) — ABS (July 2021)
- Births — ABS
- Deaths — ABS
- Overseas migration — ABS
How Place Forecast Uses This
Almost all the data in Place Forecast comes from the ABS. The rest comes from other public sources, such as Victorian cadastre maps, and from councils. The counts, birth and death numbers, and moves are all from ABS sources. The areas users see are built from the ASGS.
When the ABS releases new data, Place Forecast uses it. This keeps the figures up to date. It also updates the rates that drive projections. Place Forecast turns the raw data into the pages, charts, and tables shown across the app, so users do not need to read ABS data on their own.