The bar chart compares the proportions of people born in Australia and those born overseas who lived in cities, towns and rural areas in 1995 and 2010.
Overall, the majority of both Australian-born and overseas-born residents lived in cities in both years, and this proportion increased over time. By contrast, the percentage of people living in rural areas declined, particularly among those born in Australia.
In 1995, around half of Australian-born citizens resided in cities, while the figure for people born outside Australia was noticeably higher, at roughly 60%. Towns accommodated a smaller share of the population, accounting for about 20% of Australian-born residents and approximately 15% of overseas-born individuals. The remaining population lived in rural areas, with Australians born locally having a higher rural proportion than immigrants.
By 2010, urbanisation had intensified. The proportion of overseas-born residents living in cities rose to around 80%, representing the highest figure on the chart. A similar upward trend was observed among Australian-born people, whose urban share increased to roughly two-thirds. In contrast, the percentages living in towns fell slightly for both groups, while the rural population declined more sharply, especially among those born in Australia.
In summary, the data illustrate a clear shift towards city living between 1995 and 2010, with overseas-born residents consistently more concentrated in urban areas than native-born Australians.