State / Territory · Area profile
Tasmania
68,018 km²
Typical weekly household incomes in Tasmania are well below the national figure, reaching just $1,358. This is an older community where the typical resident is 42, making it noticeably older than the Australian average. The state is defined by a high proportion of detached houses and a population that is increasingly likely to report no religion. While growth has been steady, it remains a place where many residents face long-term health challenges compared to other parts of the country.
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Tasmania has an older population than most areas, with 20.9% of people aged 65 and over. This is well above the national figure of 17.2%. Children under 15 make up 16.6% of the population, which is much lower than in most other areas.
The state is much less diverse than the rest of Australia, with only 15.4% of people born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, though the number of overseas-born residents rose by 3.7 percentage points since 2011.
English is the primary language for 86.1% of the community, and the rate of people using another language at home is far below the national average. However, this figure has risen to 8.7% since 2011.
Half of the population now reports having no religion, a figure that is far above the national average. This represents a significant shift, as the proportion of people with no religion rose 21 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than in most other areas, with only 47.1% of residents completing Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%. The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is also well below the national average at 21.9%.
Earnings are much lower than in most other areas, with the typical family income of $1,720 sitting below the national figure of $2,120. Only 13.9% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is well below the national rate.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than elsewhere, with 33.6% of people reporting one, well above the national figure. This is reflected in the fact that 6.8% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteering is more common here than in most areas, with 18% of people contributing their time. This is well above the national figure of 14.1%.
First Nations people make up 5.4% of the population, which is a little above the national average. However, the proportion of people speaking a First Nations language is far below the national figure at 1.7%.
Homes in Tasmania are more likely to be occupied by people living alone, at 29.0%, which is well above the national average. One-parent families are also much more common here than in most other areas.
Detached houses are far more common here than across Australia, making up 87.7% of all homes. Home ownership is also high, with 37.1% of homes owned outright, well above the national figure.
Most people rely on cars for work, and very few use public transport, at only 2.5%. While the state has a high number of public transport stops per person, only 8% of people work from home, far below the national rate.
Recent arrivals from overseas are much more common here than in most other areas, at 17.7%. This is well above the national figure of 14.5%.
The unemployment rate is 5.9%, which is about the same as the national figure. However, the proportion of people employed full-time is well below the national average at 54.9%.
The population has grown to 576,261, though recent growth since 2021 has been much lower than in most other areas.
The state is characterized by a cool and wet climate, with average minimum and maximum temperatures much lower than most other areas. Rainfall is also much higher than in most similar regions.
Walkability is generally low, with only 53.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, the lowest rank among similar areas. However, nearly 79% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park.