Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland – Section 2: Our People
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section two Our people A diverse population Budd Photography Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland 5 Section two Our people Introduction Figure 2.2 Population growth by age, Queensland, 2002–202621 Our people are Queensland’s most important asset. Queensland 6 Projected increase has the third largest population in Australia. The State’s land mass covers 23% (1,730,648 km2) of the Australian continent yet more than half of its population resides in the South East. 4 Queensland’s geography ranges from sandy beaches and tropical islands to rainforests to dry deserts and its climate ranges from hot desert/semi-arid through to tropical monsoon. 2 opulation (Million) The diversity of Queensland’s geography and climate is P reflected in the diversity of its people, their social and physical environments, and their health status. Queensland’s people 0 are frequently affected by drought, heatwaves, bushfires, 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 tropical cyclones and floods and these factors play an increasing Year role in overall health and the ability of governments, health 0–14 15–29 30–44 45–64 65+ services providers and communities themselves to respond. This chapter presents an overview of the key demographic See the online visualisation for more information characteristics of Queensland (Figure 2.1) including population growth, age and sex distributions, socioeconomic and diversity indices, and regional characteristics. Rural, regional and remote Queensland Rural, regional and remote areas of Queensland are great Our population and growth places to live and work, however, there are specific population issues of concern in these regions of the state. These include In 2018, Queenslanders represented approximately 20% declining population growth due to outmigration of youth and (5,011,216) of Australia’s population. The Queensland environmental and economic challenges, particularly natural population is projected to grow by 14% to 5,720,000 by disasters such as drought. These contribute to the ageing 2026 (Figure 2.2).21 The largest driver of population growth in of these communities and accelerate challenges with respect Queensland is natural increase (36%), followed by net overseas to workforce and skills shortages, downturns in service migration (34%) and net interstate migration (30%).22,23 The and business viability and equitable access to health care.24 natural increase of about 30,000 people in 2017–18 included more than 60,000 babies born, offset by about 31,000 deaths. Areas of population decline in Queensland include the Net overseas migration was 16% lower in 2017–18 than in North West, Central West and the South West Hospital 2016–17. Temporary visa holders (86%) represented the largest and Health Service (HHS) areas with declines of 12%, contribution to Queensland’s net overseas migration in 2017–18. 14% and 7% from 2011 to 2017.25 Net interstate migration from Australian states and territories contributed about 24,700 people to Queensland in 2017–18. Figure 2.1 Key population characteristics,1 Queensland, 201820 70 64 60 51 50 50 40 Percentage 30 25 24 23 22 22 20 21 21 20 20 20 20 18 16 16 14 14 12 10 9 5 6 5 6 5 4 4 4 1 1 0.6 0.5 0.5 0 0.2 Male LOTE Female Remote Mackay Wide Bay Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4 65+ years Townsville Gold Coast North West Indigenous 0–14 years 5–29 years 0–44 years Major cities South West Metro North Metro South 1 Very Remote 45–64 years Central West 3 Inner regional West Moreton Outer regional Born overseas Darling Downs Sunshine Coast Torres and Cape Most advantaged Central Queensland Most disadvantaged Cairns and Hinterland 1 LOTE: Languages other than English 6 The health of Queenslanders 2020 Our people Children The social and physical environments of a child, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander during foetal development, are key determinants of health and wellbeing across the lifespan. Safe and healthy environments young people’s engagement with that incorporate responsive caregiving and nurturing ensure Year 12 has improved markedly children develop to their full potential.26 In 2018, there were from the 46.7% reported in 2009. about 980,000 children aged 0–14 years in Queensland— 19.6% of the total population (Figure 2.2). Of all families in Queensland in 2016 (1,221,148), 430,937 were couple families To obtain more information about children in Queensland, with children less than 15 years of age and/or dependent The Growing Up in Queensland Study that was conducted in students and 136,240 were one-parent families with children 2018 interviewed more than 7000 children from more than less than 15 years of age and/or dependent students.23 40 communities in Queensland. It provides a detailed overview of what children and young people consider important to their In 2019, 34.9% of Queensland children aged 0–12 years were current and future wellbeing.31,32 attending Australian Government subsidy approved childcare services—the national proportion was 31.5%.24 Young people The transition from child to adult is characterised by important stages in physical, intellectual and emotional development. These stages are informed and influenced by the development of autonomous identities, independent social networks and the initiation of intimate relationships. It is a period of developing the capacity to make their own decisions and thus the time when young people make important health and wellbeing choices. In 2018, there were about 1,020,000 young people aged 15–29 years in Queensland—20% of the population.20 Budd photography Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children comprised At a glance 8.3% of children aged 0–12 years in the community and they represented 5.9% of childcare attendees. Children with The 2018 Queensland population was 5,011,216 persons a disability represented 7.4% of children in the community but only 2.7% of childcare attendees. Low income families Areas of population decline in Queensland include represented 25% of childcare attendees (18% in the the north-west, central-west and south-west community). Children from regional and remote areas were under-represented among childcare attendees.28 From 2013 to 2018, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders aged 65 years and older increased In 2019, 335,804 (52.2%) Australian children aged four from about 6900 to 10,000 or five years were enrolled in a preschool program (328,134 attending) and 63,135 (47.9%) Queensland children were Queensland is home to people from more than 220 countries, enrolled (61,592 attending).28,29 Of Queensland children, who speak more than 300 languages and belong to more than 5637 of those enrolled were Aboriginal and Torres Strait 100 religions Islander of whom 5430 were attending, with 676 (12%) of those in remote/very remote regions.28,29 This was a 16% increase from 2018 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in preschool in Queensland.28,29 In 2019, school attendance for eligible Queensland children was 92.1% for Years 1–6 (93.0% in 2015) and 89.7% (91.1% in 2015) for Years 7–10.30 This was comparable to national proportions of 92.4% and 89.9% respectively. Apparent Year 12 retention (that is, the proportion of children from the respective Year 10 cohort who completed Year 12) for all fulltime students in 2018 was 83.7% (79.2% nationally). The corresponding proportion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students were 73.1% for Queensland and 59.8% nationally.30 Multicultural Queensland Multicultural Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland 7 Section two • Nationally in 2014, 17% of 35–44 year-olds, 26% of 45–54 year-olds and 32% of 55–64 year-olds had cared for a person with a disability, long-term condition or older person in a 4-week period and 29%, 29% and 36% respectively were providing support to other relatives living outside the household.36 • Approximately 9–16% of those aged 35–64 years of age were living alone in 2014.36 • Between 13–16% of people aged 35–64 years had experienced homelessness in 2014.36 • In 2017–18, of the 21% of Australian males and 24% of Australian females aged 15–64 years who had no Budd photography superannuation coverage, 16% were males and 22% were females aged 55–64 years.37 Half of young people aged 18–29 years live with their parents. Nationally, among those aged 15–24 years, the majority live in couple-parent or single parent households but a small share (6.6%) live in couple households without children and 4.6% live alone.33 Queensland has experienced higher growth in the proportion of young people aged 18–29 years living at home compared with the rest of the country, rising from 31% in 2001 to 52% in 2017.33 Nationally, the proportion of young adult women living with Budd photography their parents increased by 48% compared to 20% for men. The reasons for the increase are complex, however, economic and educational factors as well as marriage decline are likely to be Older people key drivers as they are over-represented among the unemployed, The ageing of the population is possibly the most important non-working fulltime students and those who are single.33 demographic change that is occurring in developed countries. As medical advances extend life, key components of health In 2019, proportionate to population size, 81% of 15–19 year- and wellbeing such as quality of life for our older people become olds, 70% of 20–24 year-olds and 73% of 25–29 year-olds were more important.