The two bar charts illustrate the proportion of individuals born in Australia and those born overseas residing in cities, rural, and town areas in 1995 and 2010.
Overall, it can be seen that the majority of both groups resided in cities in both years, whereas the percentage of people living in towns and rural areas decreased over time. In addition, the trend was pronounced among those born outside Australia, with an even greater preference for urban living in 2010.
In 1995, around 50% of Australian-born people lived in cities, whereas the figure for those born outside Australia was higher, at exactly 60%. Meanwhile, roughly 30% of native Australians resided in rural areas, compared to around 40% of immigrants. The smallest proportion lived in towns, accounting for about 20% of individuals living in Australia, was double that of those not living in Australia, at around 10%.
By 2010, the percentage of people living in cities had increased for both groups, reaching about 65% for Australian-born individuals and 80% for those born overseas. Conversely, the proportion of rural residents dropped significantly, especially among immigrants, declining to below 10%. Towns also saw a slight decrease in population, with less than 20% of Australian-born people and an even lower percentage of immigrants residing there.