This report examines the population trends of individuals from Australia, as well as those from abroad, residing in cities, towns, and rural areas from 1950 to 2010.
Overall, the percentage of people living in cities, both native and foreign, experienced a moderate increase over the years. In contrast, the population in towns and rural areas saw a dramatic decline.
The proportion of city dwellers, both from Australia and abroad, gradually rose from 50% and 66% to 67% and 80% respectively between 1950 and 2010. Meanwhile, in 1950, around 20% of individuals born in Australia lived in towns, while just over 30% resided in rural areas. By 2010, these figures dropped to approximately 15% for both towns and rural areas.
Similarly, the percentage of foreign-born individuals living in rural areas saw a remarkable decrease, dropping from 40% in 1950 to a mere 5% in 2010. However, the rate of people living in towns remained stable at nearly 10% throughout the entire period.
