The shape of our population profile shapes how we grow up, how we think about our future, and our role in society.

This chart explains in broad brush strokes how generations in Australia were impacted by the demographic profile they grew up in.

We have longitudinal data going back to federation (1901) but for today we shall only go back to 1921 to make it an even 100 year perspective when counting backwards from the 2021 census.

To compare the population profiles of Australia at 5.5 million (1921), 13.1 million (1971), and 25.7 million (2021) people looking at absolute and relative numbers is important.

Australia quintupled its population base over the last century.

Growth, growth, and then some more growth. In the period immediately after the Second World War birth rates shot up and population growth was driven by babies. The resulting generation was aptly named Baby Boomers.

As birth rates kept falling, Australia shifted to importing population from overseas. Today Australia truly is a migration nation, and two-thirds of our annual population growth comes from overseas while only one-third is homemade (more babies than deaths).

Just quickly glancing at the chart above you notice that our age profile started taking on a different shape. This trend becomes more obvious........

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