According to the data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012), the population of Australia is 22, 485.300 people. Its average growth rate is 1.5 percent (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012a, unpaged).The following table will describe the age structure of the Australian population.
(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012b, unpaged)
It should be noted that the percentage of men and women differs depending upon the age group. For instance, if one takes people whose age ranges between 15-19, the percentage of males and females remains equal (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012b, unpaged). However, the number of women increases if one looks at older age groups, especially those people who are older than 65 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012b, unpaged).
In 2010, more than 19 million Australian people lived in family households, and it is 88 percent of the total population (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012c, unpaged). In turn, only 2 million people lived alone. So, the fast-food companies should note that the majority of their customers will be people who live in families. This table describes the family structure of Australian population.
(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012c, unpaged).
Therefore, fast-food delivery companies should focus on couple families having dependent children because this is the largest segment of the population. Furthermore, it should be noted that in 2010 the average disposable income for a single person was $848 a week (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012d, unpaged). However, in Australia the income level depends on the location where a person lives. For instance, in Tasmania, the weekly income is significantly below the average.
Furthermore, it is important to speak about the changes in education level. For example, in 2011, 57 percent had non-school qualification (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012e, unpaged). In comparison with 2001, their number has increased by 10 percent. There are about 8.4 million people who have more an Advanced Diploma (A.D) or a higher degree (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012e, unpaged). These people can be more aware about the importance of good eating habits.
Occupational statistics is also very important for companies. Currently, 45% of Australian workers are women, and this percentage has dramatically increased over the last three decades. In August 2012, approximately, 8,071 people had full-time employment, while 3.425,700 were employed only part of the time (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012f, unpaged).
The population of Australia can be divided into three ethnic groups, namely white people who make up 92 percent, Asians (7 percent) and indigenous people who are in the minority (Index Mundi 2012, unpaged). The most populated regions of the country are New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012a, unpaged). In turn, the least populated areas are Tasmania and Northern Territory.
The most important social factor is the change of people’s values and attitudes. Many Australian buyers have become more concerned with the quality of food and its effects on health (IBISWorld 2012, p. 6). As a rule, they pay more attention to their eating habits. Australians are more likely to prefer food that is beneficial for their health, even if it is more expensive. These are the most important social trends.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012a, 2011 Census Edition — Preliminary. Web.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012b, 3201.0 – Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories. Web.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012c, Family Characteristics, Australia, 2009-10.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012d, Household Income and Income Distribution, Australia.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012e, Education and Work: Attainment.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012f, 6202.0 – Labour Force, Australia.
IBISWorld 2012, Health kick: An influx of healthier food options drives industry growth via IBISWorld databse.
Index Mundi 2012, Australia Demographics Profile. Web.