State Statistical Bulletin 2015

31 March 2016

PDF version [716KB]

Gregory O'Brien
Statistics and Mapping Section

 

Executive summary

  • This paper, a companion to the Monthly Statistical Bulletin published by the Parliamentary Library, provides tables and charts for a broad range of social, demographic and economic indicators across all Australian states and territories, and compares these to Australian averages.
  • Each table presents data for the last five calendar years to 2015, while each chart plots data for the calendar year 2015.
  • The State Statistical Bulletin is published every six months covering either the previous financial year or calendar year.

Contents

Executive summary
Introduction
Data Sources
Historical Data

Chapter 1: Labour Market

1.1 Employment
1.2 Unemployment
1.3 Labour force

Chapter 2: Wages and Prices

2.1 Average weekly ordinary time earnings
2.2 Real average weekly ordinary time earnings
2.3 Male total average weekly earnings
2.4 Female total average weekly earnings
2.5 Wage price index
2.6 Consumer price index

Chapter 3: State Accounts

3.1 Real gross state product
3.2 Real gross state product per capita
3.3 Labour productivity

Chapter 4: Business Conditions

4.1 Value of retail sales
4.2 Passenger vehicle sales
4.3 Dwelling approvals
4.4 Business investment

Chapter 5: Housing

5.1 Lending for owner occupied housing
5.2 Home loan size

Chapter 6: Public Sector Finances

6.1 State government net debt
6.2 State government fiscal balance
6.3 State government taxation revenue

Chapter 7: Exports

7.1 International merchandise exports

Chapter 8: Social Statistics

8.1 Population
8.2 Apparent school retention rates
8.3 General practice bulk billing

Glossary


Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to present a range of economic and other statistical indicators for the states and territories of Australia. To facilitate comparisons, indicators are presented in relative terms such as growth rates, percentages, or proportions of gross state product, so comparisons can be made using equivalent measures.

This publication is a companion to the Monthly Statistical Bulletin which contains Australia-wide data only, but on a more frequent basis.

A glossary of social, demographic and economic terms used in the tables is provided at the end of this publication.

Data Sources

Data sources are listed at the bottom of the page for each indicator. All data is from an original ABS series unless otherwise indicated as a trend or seasonally adjusted series.

Historical Data

Long-term data series for every table in this paper and for the Parliamentary Library’s companion publication, the Monthly Statistical Bulletin, are available electronically and can be found on the Parliamentary Library’s Monthly Statistical Bulletin and State Statistical Bulletin pages.

Note: These links can only be accessed by Senators, Members and parliamentary staff.

Glossary

Apparent school retention rate. The number of full-time school students in a designated level/year of education expressed as a percentage of their respective cohort group (which is either at the commencement of their secondary schooling or Year 10). For a discussion of ‘apparent’ retention rates compared to actual retention rates, see the ABS source publication, Schools, Australia, 2014 (cat. no. 4221.0) explanatory notes.

Average weekly earnings. Average gross (before tax) earnings of employees.

Average weekly ordinary time earnings. Weekly earnings attributed to award, standard or agreed hours of work.

Business investment. Private gross fixed capital formation for machinery and equipment; non-dwelling construction; livestock; and intangible fixed assets.

Consumer price index. A measure of change in the price of a basket of goods and services from a base period. Changes in the consumer price index are the most commonly used measures of inflation.

Employed persons. Persons aged 15 and over who, during a period of one week, worked for one hour or more for pay or worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a family farm.

General government sector. Government departments and other entities that provide largely non-market public services and are funded mainly through taxes and other compulsory levies.

General government sector net debt. Selected liabilities (deposits held plus proceeds from advances plus borrowing) minus selected assets (cash and deposits plus investments plus advances outstanding) of the general government sector.

General government sector fiscal balance. The financing requirement of the general government sector. A positive sign, or fiscal surplus, indicates a net lending position; a negative sign, or fiscal deficit, indicates a net borrowing position.

General practice bulk billing rate. The percentage of general practitioner attendances (excluding practice nurse) that are bulk billed.

Gross domestic product. The total market value of goods and services produced within Australia, after deducting the cost of goods and services used up in the process of production but before deducting for depreciation.

Gross state product. Equivalent to gross domestic product except it refers to production within a state or territory rather than to the nation as a whole.

Gross state product—chain volume measures. Also known as real gross state product, this is a measure used to indicate change in the actual quantity of goods and services produced within a state or territory.

Gross state product per capita. The ratio of the chain volume measure of gross state product to an estimate of the resident population in the state or territory.

Job vacancy. A job available for immediate filling and for which recruitment action has been taken.

Job vacancy rate. The number of job vacancies expressed as a percentage of the number of employee jobs plus the number of job vacancies.

Labour force. The employed plus the unemployed.

Labour force participation rate. The number of persons in the labour force expressed as a percentage of the civilian population aged 15 years and over.

Labour productivity. Gross state product (chain volume measures) per hour worked, all sectors (that is, market and non-market sectors).

Male total average weekly earnings. Weekly ordinary time earnings plus weekly overtime earnings of all male employees. This measure of earnings is used in the process of benchmarking pensions.

Real average weekly earnings. Average weekly earnings adjusted for inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Turnover. Includes retail sales; wholesale sales; takings from repairs, meals and hiring of goods; commissions from agency activity; and net takings from gaming machines. Turnover includes the Goods and Services Tax.

Unemployed persons. Persons aged 15 and over who, during a period of one week, were not employed but had actively looked for work in the previous four weeks and were available to start work.

Unemployment rate. The number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force.

Wage price index. A measure of change in the price of labour (that is, wages, salaries and overtime) unaffected by changes in the quality or quantity of work performed.

 

For copyright reasons some linked items are only available to members of Parliament.


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