Pilbara home to more youth, but workers leaving town

The Pilbara’s youth an elderly population is on the increase according to the 2016 Census of Population and Housing, but a loss in working age residents has offset population gains made.

Since 2011 the number of zero to 14-year-old residents in the Pilbara has increased by about five per cent to 12,060.

The number of residents aged over 65 has increased by 22 per cent to 1,455.

The data suggests many residents are still leaving the Pilbara when they reach the final years of high school and tertiary education however, with the number of 15 to 19-year-old residents in the Pilbara in decline.

The working age population, those aged between 20 and 64, has also shrunk by about five per cent to 44,934.

The Shire of Ashburton bucked the trend, with about 3,000 extra working age residents in the region since 2011.

The City of Karratha experienced big fluctuations, with youth numbers up nearly seven per cent, the working age population down 18 per cent, and the over-64 population rising by about 23 percent.

In the Town of Port Hedland youth numbers rose by about seven per cent, working age population was down by nearly eight per cent, and the over-64 population rose by 28 per cent.

The East Pilbara lost numbers across the board.