The bar graphs compare the proportion of people born in and outside of Australia who lived in cities, towns, and rural areas in 1950 and 2010.
Overall, while the percentage of people residing in towns and rural areas declined for both groups, the proportion of city dwellers rose significantly. Notably, cities had the highest share of the population throughout the period.
Focusing on those born in Australia, around 50% lived in cities in 1950, and this figure increased moderately to approximately 60% in 2010. Meanwhile, the proportion of Australian-born individuals residing in towns fell slightly from 20% to below 20%, while rural populations declined sharply from over 30% to a similar level as towns by 2010.
A similar pattern was observed among those born outside Australia. The proportion of foreign-born individuals in cities rose from 60% in 1950 to 80% in 2010, making it the most significant increase. Meanwhile, the percentage of those living in towns experienced a slight decline from just under 20% to around 10%, while rural populations saw a dramatic drop from 40% to approximately 5%.
In summary, urbanization was the dominant trend over the 60-year period, with a significant rise in the city population and a sharp decline in rural residents.