02–03;[251] 1 million or 5% of the total population in 2005[252]) live outside their home country.

ields interspersed with roads, a small forest near the front of the photo
The Barossa Valley is a wine-producing region in South Australia. Fewer than 15% of Australians live in rural areas.

The Indigenous population—mainland Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders—was counted at 548,370 (2.5% of the total population) in 2011,[240] a significant increase from 115,953 in the 1976 census.[241] The increase is partly due to many people with Indigenous heritage previously having been overlooked by the census due to undercount and cases where their Indigenous status had not been recorded on the form.

Indigenous Australians experience higher than average rates of imprisonment and unemployment,[242] lower levels of education, and life expectancies for males and females that are 11–17 years lower than those of non-indigenous Australians.[224][243][244] Some remote Indigenous communities have been described as having "failed state"-like conditions.[245][246][247][248][249]

In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2004, the average age of the civilian population was 38.8 years.[250] A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 20

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Largest cities or towns of Australia
June 2012 Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates[253]
    Rank    City name   State   Pop.    Rank    City name   State   Pop.   
Sydney
Sydney
Melbourne
Melbourne   1   Sydney  NSW     4,667,283   11  Greater Hobart  TAS     216,959     Brisbane
Brisbane
Perth