Australia’s population grows by 8% in five years, but Sydney is running out of room to expand

Australia’s population grows by 8% in five years, but Sydney is running out of room to expand

Launch of Experian Mosaic reveals new demographic profiles in Australia

Sydney, Australia, 3 July, 2013 – Seven of the top 10 fastest growing suburbs in Australia by population are found in Victoria, according to new data released today by Experian, the global information services company. In contrast, New South Wales (NSW) has recorded the largest number of suburbs which have experienced a population decline  over this time period.

Mernda in Melbourne’s suburbs tops the growth chart with a population increase of 740 per cent in the past five years.

The data is released today with the launch of Experian Mosaic, the global consumer segmentation system that classifies Australia’s 8.5 million households and neighbourhoods into 49 unique types and 13 groups that share similar demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. It reveals new insights into the demographic and population changes which have occurred in Australia over the past five years. 

Experian Mosaic uses the most recent Australian Census data and a range of proprietary data sources, to build one of the most detailed pictures of population trends, consumer lifestyles, behaviours and purchasing habits to help business and Government anticipate societal trends and target products and services more effectively.

The new demographic group fuelling the population growth in Victoria, and nationwide, is Ambitious Spenders – young families who are new to Australia, well-educated but financially strained with substantial mortgages for properties on the outskirts of major cities. Experian’s analysis suggests the growth which has been seen in Melbourne has been restrained in Sydney due to the lack of expansion space surrounding the city belt.

“Every five years new demographic trends are identified that can help answer serious questions for business and Government,” said Matt Glasner, General Manager, Experian Marketing Services. “This data and analysis can be a catalyst to improve and adapt to society’s needs and helps to guide decisions on transport links, health care services, and retail locations.”

Today’s launch of Experian Mosaic reveals three new influential demographic profiles which haven’t been seen before in Australia:

• Golden Nesters – Older couples and singles with large disposable incomes living in desirable coastal locations. Aged 65 and older, this group is well-travelled and financially secure. They have high household incomes, typically have one or two cars, and may own a second home.
  
• Greener Pastures – Affluent families who have made a lifestyle choice to live in rural locations with extended family. They are parents aged between 35 and 69, with children of both primary and secondary school age, mainly of Australian or British descent. Many have lived in their homes for more than six years and often have extended family living with them.
  
• Ambitious Spenders – Young families on tight budgets in fast growing metropolitan suburbs. Typically born in Asia and the Middle East, this group lives in the newest housing estates in Australia within commuting distance to major cities. These are well-educated parents aged 25-44 with children under the age of 15.  This group, on average, spends over 15 hours a week on the internet.

The new data also revealed:

• Australia’s most populous state may have reached its growth peak – NSW is home to almost half of the 50 fastest shrinking towns
  
• Queensland has the most suburbs in the top 50 growing suburbs list
  
• The top 10 shrinking suburbs are predominately in rural areas

Looking at the overall percentage change in population and average income by state, Western Australia (WA) leads both categories – most likely due to the rise of the mining boom over the past few years.

“Mosaic draws on richer data sources and drills down further into the household level than any other customer segmentation tool. Today’s data highlights the importance for all organisations to understand their demographic audience and the services and facilities it requires,” concludes Glasner.

ENDS

¹  Data refers to the 50 suburbs in Australia recording the greatest population decline over the past five years

Contacts:
Kendra Dubyk
n2n communications
kdubyk@n2n.com.au
02 9213 2345
0448 844 806 

Georgia Lennon
Experian
Georgia.Lennon@au.experian.com
02 8907 7218

About Experian

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2013 was US$4.7 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

About Mosaic

Mosaic is a global consumer classification tool and is available in 27 major countries. It classifies a billion consumers worldwide, covering a third of the surface area of the Earth and is available in all of the world’s most prosperous economies including North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Hundreds of millions of source input records are used in the development of the new Mosaic which allows Experian to accurately identify and locate 22 million adults in Australia by their name and address, the core of the segmentation population. This includes:

• Key person level variables such as age, financial status and ethnicity
• Key family variables such as household composition, home ownership and presence of children
• Property information such as type, value, number of storeys and size of the home people are living in