Population Composition by Age and Sex

Across the Pilbara, the proportion of males between the ages of 20 and 59 and females between the ages of 25 and 34 are inordinately higher than the state proportion. This may be due to the resources activity in the region attracting a larger proportion of working age persons, with the proportion employed in the mining or construction industries increasing to 44.2% of the working population in 2006, from 35.5% ten years before.  

The proportion of 15-19 years across the whole Pilbara is lower than the State proportion, possibly reflecting the number of students leaving the region for educational opportunities.

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Population Composition by Sex

The Pilbara showed higher populations of males than females in all years between 1996 and 2006. In general, the male population was more mobile than the female population, showing greater fluctuation between Census years. 

In 2006 the comparative ratio of males to females was 145:100, increasing from 128:100 in 1996.  This further highlights the recent increase in employment levels for the male dominated mining and construction industries.

Figures are based on place of enumeration, so will capture those on a fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) roster at the time of the Census.

Population Composition by Age

In the Pilbara, 30–44 year olds were the highest population group for each year. The 30–44 and 45–64 years age groups showed the greatest increases from 1996 through to 2006. The 65 age group remained relatively static throughout, showing small increases from 1996 to 2006.