Population dispersion of persons in Australia
Definition
Population dispersion measures the spatial distribution of individuals within a population. The greater the level of dispersion, the more spread out or scattered the population will be. It is important to note that population dispersion is different to population density which measures the average number of people per square kilometre in a particular region.
Consider the two regions in the images provided. Both Region A and Region B are the same size with the same population. As such, they have the same population density. However, they have different population dispersion patterns. Region A is more scattered and therefore has a greater population dispersion when compared to Region B.
Region A
Region B
Why measure dispersion?
Measuring a population’s level of dispersion gives analysts and planners an insight into the infrastructure and services that a particular region may require. If one considers the previous example of Region A and Region B, it could be safely assumed that Region A would require a longer length of road infrastructure than Region B.
Results
The included map shows the population dispersion as at 30 June 2023 at the region type of local government area (LGA). Results are recorded as an estimated average distance (in kilometres) between each person and the centre of population for the region (in this case, an LGA). The centre of population for a region is defined as a population-weighted latitude and longitude coordinate for the area.
The LGA in Australia with the smallest dispersion was the Darwin Waterfront Precinct (NT) with a dispersion of 0.078 kilometres. This means that the average distance from each resident in the Darwin Waterfront Precinct to the centre of population in the Darwin Waterfront Precinct was 0.078 kilometres.
The LGA in Australia with the largest dispersion was the Central Desert (NT) with an dispersion of 218 kilometres.
Click on the map to download the full interactive version.
Custom data
Should you require detailed population dispersion data, or data at a different geographical area such as State Electoral District, Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) or State and Territory, please use the contact us link.