Disadvantage
One of the most disadvantaged communities in this region are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples . They make up 0.6 % of the population in Victoria and typically experience higher levels of chronic illness , suicide rates and psychological distress than non-Indigenous , with young people particularly at risk .
Within Merri-bek , Fawkner , Hadfield , Glenroy and Coburg North , residents experience higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage , a higher concentration of low-income households and higher rates of unemployment .
Wider Metropolitan Melbourne Region ( Greater Melbourne )
The wider Metropolitan Melbourne Region covers the North , East , West and South of Melbourne . It includes 31 municipalities and 4.9 million people . This region is undergoing significant growth and change .
Diversity
Australia is the birthplace of 59.9 % of people in the Region . 4.9 % were born in India , 3.4 % in China , 2.7 % in England and 1.8 % in Vietnam . The majority ( 61 %) speak only English at home , 4.3 % speak Mandarin , 2.3 % speak Vietnamese , 2.1 % speak Greek and 2 % Punjabi .
Health
Within this area 8.1 % of people live with a long term mental health condition ( depression or anxiety ). Asthma affects 7.9 % of the population , while 6.9 % of people have arthritis , 4.5 % live with diabetes and 3.3 % have heart disease .
Age groups
Young people aged 0-19 make up 23.8 % of the population , while 37.6 % of residents are aged between 20-44 , and 38.7 % are aged 45 and above , the median age is 37 . People aged 65 years are forecast to increase to 7.6 % by 2026 .
Disadvantage
An estimated 0.7 % of the population are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples . They are one of the most vulnerable groups for chronic health conditions and have twice the rate of suicide of non-Indigenous people .
Hume region
The Hume Region covers North Eastern Victoria and the Goulburn Valley and includes 12 Local Government Areas : Mitchell , Murrindindi , Shepparton , Strathbogie , Moira , Mansfield , Wangaratta , Benalla , Indigo , Wodonga , Towong and Alpine .
Merri Health has continued to expand service provision across the Region , coordinated through our Wangaratta site .
Diversity
Within the Hume population , English is the most common language spoken at home , followed by Arabic , Turkish , Punjabi , Assyrian and Chaldean . After Australia , India , Iraq , Turkey , Lebanon and Pakistan are the most common countries of birth , contributing to a culturally diverse population .
Health
More Hume residents live with long-term health conditions than the Victorian average . 10.7 % of the population have a mental health condition compared to Victoria ’ s 8.8 % rate . 11.6 % have arthritis and asthma affects 10 % of people , higher than Victoria ’ s 8.4 % rate .
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Age groups
Hume ’ s median age is 45 years . People aged 0-14 make up 17.1 % of the population and people aged 65 + make up 23.5 % of the population .
Wider Regional Victoria
Across its 48 LGAs , Regional Victoria has a population of approximately 257,682 people .
Diversity
English ( 40.1 %) and Australian ( 39.4 %) ancestries are the most common . 7,694 of the population ( 3 %) identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander . 80.4 % of the population was born in Australia , followed by England ( 2.2 %), New Zealand at 0.9 % and Malaysia at 0.8 %.
Health
Due to the greater difficulty accessing health services , people living in rural and remote areas generally experience poorer health than those living in Metropolitan areas . They are also at a higher risk of developing mental health disorders due to loneliness , financial issues , natural disasters and low employment opportunities .
Age groups
The median age in Regional Victoria is 47 , compared to 34 years in Metropolitan Melbourne . Children 0-14 make up 16.6 % of the population , people 65 + make up 25 % of the population .
* When updating population demographics , ‘ Outer Regional Victoria ’ was used through ABS .
www . melbourne . vic . gov . au / SiteCollectionDocuments / health-wellbeing-profile-2020 . pdf www . abs . gov . au / census / find-census-data / quickstats Rural and regional Victorians ( health . vic . gov . au ) www . vgls . sdp . sirsidynix . net . au / client / search / asset / 1161371 www . health . vic . gov . au / regions / northwestern / about . htm www . melbourne . vic . gov . au / SiteCollectionDocuments / health-wellbeing-profile-2020 . pdf www . app . remplan . com . au / hume-lga / community Birthplace | City of Merri-bek | Community profile ( id . com . au ) City Profile - Hume City Council Language used at home | City of Merri-bek | Community profile ( id . com . au ) Religion | City of Merri-bek | Community profile ( id . com . au ) Hume Language Profiles - Hume City Council
Merri Health Annual Report 2023 09