The Parliamentary Library has obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) unpublished Estimated Resident Population (ERP) data as at 30 June 2007 and 2008 for Commonwealth electoral divisions (or seats). This allows analysis of various aspects of population change for divisions over the period 2007 to 2008 on a consistent conceptual and geographic basis. The 2008 ERP figures are preliminary and subject to revision. The 2007 ERP figures contain revisions to preliminary data previously supplied to the Parliamentary Library and will only be finalised after the 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

ERP estimates are the official estimates of the Australian population and they link people to a place of usual residence within Australia. ERP data are considered to be superior estimates of the resident population compared with census figures because ERP includes adjustments for net census undercount and Australian residents temporarily living overseas. ERP figures have the advantage over census figures of being available on a quarterly or annual basis and are available as time series on a consistent basis.

The source 2007 and 2008 ERP electoral division data by single year of age and sex, as supplied by the ABS, are available from the Electorate Atlas (http://libiis1/Library_Services/electoralatlas/australia.htm (0)) resource on the Parliamentary Library’s intranet (available only to Senators and Members) together with 2001 and 2006 ERP data previously supplied by the ABS. The historical data have been converted to 2007 electoral division boundaries to be on a consistent basis with current figures.

An analysis of 2007 and 2008 summary data for the total population, the 0 to 4 years age group, the 5 to 14 years age group, and the 65 and over age group are presented in the following tables.

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