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At September 30, 2016, the estimated resident population (ERP) of Tasmania was approximately 519,800
, an increase of 2,600 (0.5%) over the previous year. The population of Greater Hobart at June 2015 was 221,000 people. This represented 43% of Tasmania’s total population. The median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of the Tasmanian population was 41.9 years, the highest of all states and territories. Tasmania also had the largest increase in median age between 2010 and 2015, increasing by 1.9 years. The median age of males in 2015 was 40.9 years compared with 42.8 years for females.

Birthplace

Of the population, 85% were Australian-born with the remaining residents hailing from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Netherlands. English was the only language spoken at home by 93% of the population, with Italian, German and Chinese the next most common languages spoken.

Employment

In November 2011, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Tasmania was 6.0%, an increase on the October 2011 rate of 5.1% and the highest rate since January 2011.

n seasonally adjusted terms, there were 237,200 employed persons in Tasmania. Of this number there were 125,900 employed males and 111,700 employed females.

Of all employed males in Tasmania in November 2011, 19.4% were working part-time, compared to 53.1% of all employed females who were working on a part-time basis.

Economy

The industries in Tasmania which made the greatest contribution to the state’s gross product in 2010-11 in volume terms were: Manufacturing (9.4%), Health care and social assistance (8.2%), Financial and insurance services (7.2%), Ownership of dwellings and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (each 7.1%).

From 2000-01 to 2010-11, the Administrative and support services industry recorded a 103.0% increase in value added. This represented the highest increase of all industries in Tasmania. During the same period, the Manufacturing industry recorded the largest decrease of 19.0%.

At the end of June 2009 there were 38,000 operating businesses in Tasmania, or 500 less than at the same time in the previous year. The vast majority of these were small businesses, with 58.8% of the total being non-employing businesses and a further 36.0% of the total employing from 1-19 employees.