19.7% ▼ -22.8%
Higher than 77% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 25.5%
- 2016: 22.1%
- 2021: 19.7%
Share of people aged 15+ who did voluntary work for an organisation or group.
Rural Balance · Section of State
Community Participation in Rural Balance
How people contribute — volunteering, unpaid care and domestic work, and defence service.
Much higher volunteering rates than most similar areas define Rural Balance, where nearly one in five people give their time for free. While these rates have dipped since 2011, the area remains far more active in community work than the national average.
Participation
Volunteering for organisations and groups.
About 19.7% of people volunteer here, which is well above the Australian figure of 14.1%. This is much higher than most similar areas, although the rate fell 5.8 percentage points since 2011.
Unpaid care & work
Caring for others and unpaid domestic work.
Fewer people provide unpaid care here than in most other areas, with only 10% doing so. This includes child care, which is well below the national figure, and housework, which is also a little below the Australian average.
10.0% ▼ -12.3%
Lower than 70% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 11.4%
- 2016: 9.3%
- 2021: 10.0%
Share of people aged 15+ who provided unpaid assistance to someone with a disability or due to old age.
22.2% ▼ -22.6%
Lower than 68% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 28.6%
- 2016: 29.0%
- 2021: 22.2%
Share of people aged 15+ who provided unpaid child care.
18.3% ▼ -12.8%
Lower than 62% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 21.0%
- 2016: 19.8%
- 2021: 18.3%
Share of people aged 15+ who did 15 hours or more of unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census.
Defence service
People who served in the Australian Defence Force.
A striking 14.8% of people have served in the Defence Force, placing Rural Balance among the highest for military service. This is far above the national figure of 2.8%.
14.8%
Higher than 99% of section of state areas.
Share of people aged 15+ who have ever served in the Australian Defence Force (currently or previously).
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Rural Balance
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Community Participation in Rural Balance [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sos/SOS83/rural-balance/topic/community