Older Adults Profile65+ years

ContentsExecutive Summary...............................................................................................................................2

Population.........................................................................................................................................3

Forecast.............................................................................................................................................3

Indigenous Status..............................................................................................................................0

Country of Birth.................................................................................................................................0

Language spoken at home.................................................................................................................0

English Proficiency.............................................................................................................................1

Religion..............................................................................................................................................2

Education...............................................................................................................................................2

High School........................................................................................................................................2

Higher Education...............................................................................................................................3

Employment..........................................................................................................................................3

Volunteering......................................................................................................................................4

Assistance with Core Activities..........................................................................................................5

References.............................................................................................................................................5

Wyndham City

Executive Summary Wyndham has a relatively young population. Less than 10% are over 65 years of age, compared to around 14% of the population of Greater Melbourne.

Between 2016 and 2036, the population is forecast to more than double, increasing from 15,500 people to 37,646 – a growth of 143%.

Indigenous residents account for less than 1% of the total over 65s age group living in Wyndham.

In 2016, less than half of older adults in Wyndham and across Greater Melbourne were born in Australia (42% and 45% respectively).

Older adults in Wyndham and Greater Melbourne share a similar language profile, where Italian, Maltese, Mandarin, and Greek are in the top 5 most commonly spoken languages other than English.

In Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, around 20% of older adults are dual or multilingual, and can speak English very well or well.

Unlike the entire population of Wyndham, there are high rates of religious affiliation amongst older adults. In 2016, 76% of people were affiliated with a religion; 70% of all people 65+ years were affiliated with a Christian religion.

Just over a quarter of Wyndham residents over 65 years of age have completed year 12 or equivalent, compared to nearly 32% of older adults across Greater Melbourne.

13% of Greater Melbourne older adults have achieved a bachelor degree or higher. This is higher than the Wyndham proportion of 8%.

Just over 11% of Wyndham older adults are still engaged in the workforce; 5% in full time positions.

In 2016, almost 12% of Wyndham older adults volunteered compared to nearly 16% across Greater Melbourne.

Compared to Greater Melbourne there are a slightly larger proportion of older adults in Wyndham who require assistance with core activities and a lower proportion providing unpaid assistance.

Wyndham City

Population In 2016, nearly 8% of the population of Wyndham was aged 65 years and over, equating to around 16,346 residents. The proportion of over 65s across Greater Melbourne (14%) is almost double that observed in Wyndham.

The number of older adults in Wyndham has been growing steadily. Interestingly, the proportion they contribute to the total overall population of Wyndham hasn’t changed significantly over time. This highlights how over the past 10 years, the population of Wyndham has remained relatively young.

Figure 1: Total Population Aged 65 Years and Over, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne 2016

2006 2011 20160

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

14.00%

16.00%

7710

10961

16346

6.8% 6.8%7.5%

12.8% 13.1%14.0%

Wyndham Population No. 65+ % total population Wyndham

65+ % total population Greater Melbourne

ForecastFigure 2: Forecast Population, Wyndham, 2016 to 2036

2016 2021 2026 2031 203613000

18000

23000

28000

33000

38000

43000

15523

20369

25420

31244

37646

The over 65s population in Wyndham is, like all other age groups, growing at a rapid rate. Between 2016 and 2036, the population is forecast to grow by 143%, from 15,500 people to 37,646.

Wyndham City

Wyndham City

Indigenous StatusThere is a very small population of Indigenous residents aged 65 years and over living in Wyndham. At the 2016 Census, there were 38 Aboriginal people and 3 Torres Strait Islander residents. In total, Indigenous residents account for less than 1% of the total over 65 age group living in Wyndham, and 2.4% of the total Indigenous population.

Country of Birth Table 1: Country of Birth, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Wyndham Greater Melbourne

Country % Country %

Australia 42.3% Australia 45.1%

1 England 7.6% 1 Italy 6.8%

2 Italy 6.3% 2 England 6.6%

3 India 3.3% 3 Greece 4.8%

4 Malta 3.2% 4 China 1.9%

5 Scotland 2.0% 5 Germany 1.7%

In 2016, less than half of older adults in Wyndham and across Greater Melbourne were born in Australia (42% and 45% respectively). In Wyndham, England, Italy, India, Malta and Scotland were the most common countries of birth outside Australia. Across Greater Melbourne, Greece, China and Germany were in the top 5.

Language spoken at homeTable 2: Language Spoken at Home, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Wyndham Greater Melbourne

English 62.0% English 62.9%

1 Italian 6.5% 1 Italian 6.7%

2 Maltese 2.4% 2 Greek 5.4%

3 Mandarin 1.6% 3 Cantonese 1.6%

4 Spanish 1.4% 4 Mandarin 1.5%

5 Greek 1.4% 5 Maltese 1.2%

There are similar proportions of English-only speakers in Wyndham and Greater Melbourne (62% and 63% respectively). Interestingly, the language profiles differ slightly to the country of birth. In Wyndham, Greek is in the top 5 most commonly spoken languages other than English, despite not making the top 5 most common countries of birth. A similar pattern has occurred across Greater Melbourne where there were a large number of German born residents, but a small proportion of German speakers. Instead Maltese is a more commonly spoken language. Some cultural groups may be more protective of their culture and language and continue to cultivate them outside their country of birth.

English Proficiency Figure 3: English Speaking Proficiency, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Very well Well Not well Not at all0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

9.8% 10.0%

7.6%

3.1%

8.9%

10.2%

8.9%

2.5%

Wyndham Greater Melbourne

English speaking proficiency is relatively high amongst multilingual speakers in Wyndham and across Greater Melbourne. In Wyndham, around 20% of older adults are dual or multilingual, and can speak English very well or well. Almost 8% cannot speak English well and 3% cannot speak any English. A similar trend is observed across Greater Melbourne.

Wyndham City

ReligionFigure 4: Religious Affiliation, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Buddhism

Christianity

Hinduism

Islam

Judaism

Other Religions

No Religious Affiliation

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0%

1.6%

70.1%

1.7%

1.7%

0.1%

1.2%

14.1%

2.2%

67.3%

.6%

1.1%

1.5%

.4%

17.2%

Greater Melbourne Wyndham

Unlike the entire population of Wyndham, there are high rates of religious affiliation amongst older adults. In 2016, 76% of older adults were affiliated with a religion. Christian religions were the most popular with just over 70% of 65+ year olds affiliated with one of the many Christian denominations. A similar trend exists across Greater Melbourne.

Education

High SchoolFigure 5: Highest Year of School Completed, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Year 12 or equivalent

Year 11 or equivalent

Year 10 or equivalent

Year 9 or equivalent

Year 8 or below

Did not go to school

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0%

26%

8%

19%

11%

21%

3%

32%

9%

16%

9%

19%

3%

Greater Melbourne Wyndham

Overall, education attainment is lower amongst Wyndham older adults compared to older adults across Greater Melbourne. Just over a quarter of Wyndham residents over 65 years of age have completed year 12 or equivalent, compared to nearly 32% in Greater Melbourne.

Wyndham City

Higher EducationFigure 6: Qualifications, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2011

Postgraduate Degree Level

Graduate Diploma and Graduate

Certificate Level

Bachelor Degree Level

Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level

Certificate Level0.0%2.0%4.0%6.0%8.0%

10.0%12.0%14.0%16.0%

1.6% .9%

5.7% 5.6%

14.6%

2.9%1.6%

8.9%7.4%

12.9%

Wyndham Greater Melbourne

A greater proportion of older adults across Greater Melbourne have achieved a higher education qualification compared to older adults in Wyndham (34% and 28% respectively). Around 13% of Greater Melbourne older adults have a bachelor degree or higher compared to 8% of older adults from Wyndham. Certificate level qualifications were more common amongst Wyndham over 65s compared to those across Greater Melbourne (15% and 13% respectively).

EmploymentFigure 7: Employment Status, Wyndham, 2011

11.1%0.4%

79.8%

EmployedUnemployed looking for workNot in the labor force

Just over 11% of Wyndham older adults are still engaged in the workforce; 5% in full time positions. Not surprisingly, the majority of adults of retirement age (65+ years) are not in the labour force (80%).

Wyndham City

Figure 8: Total Personal Weekly Income, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Nil or Negative

$1-$299 $300-$499 $500-$799 $800-$1,249

$1,250-$1,749

$1,750-$2,999

$3,000+0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%

9.2%13.0%

39.7%

14.9%

7.1%2.5% 1.3% 0.7%

5.7%

12.3%

37.0%

16.0%

8.7%3.9% 2.8% 1.8%

Wyndham Greater Melbourne

Older adults across Greater Melbourne are earning more each week compared to those in Wyndham. A third of Greater Melbourne older adults (33%) are receiving $500+ personal income per week compared to just over 26% of older adults Wyndham wide. Nearly 10% of Wyndham older adults have a negative or nil weekly income.

VolunteeringFigure 9: Volunteers, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Wyndham Greater Melbourne0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%

11.7%

15.7%

In 2016, almost 12% of Wyndham older adults volunteered compared to nearly 16% across Greater Melbourne.

Wyndham City

Assistance with Core ActivitiesFigure 10 & 11: Receiving and Providing Assistance with Core Activities, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016

Need for assistance with core activities Provides unpaid assistance

Wyndham Greater Melbourne19.1%19.2%19.3%19.4%19.5%19.6%19.7%19.8%19.9%20.0% 19.9%

19.4%

Wyndham Greater Melbourne11.4%11.5%11.6%11.7%11.8%11.9%12.0%12.1%12.2%12.3%

11.7%

12.2%

Compared to Greater Melbourne there are a greater proportion of older adults who require assistance with core activities and a smaller proportion providing unpaid assistance.

ReferencesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (2016). Analysed by Wyndham City Council via TableBuilder

ID Consulting. (2016). Population Forecasts - Wyndham

Wyndham City