As part of the work programme of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the secretariat’s Population Division has undertaken the preparation and publication of a series of country monographs on the population situation of each interested country in the region. Each monograph is being prepared in close co-operation with country experts and with the financial support of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). The present monograph on Australia is the ninth in the series.

The purpose of the monographs is to provide the countries of the ESCAP region with an understanding of existing population problems, as well as with a scientific basis for decision-making, policy formulation and determination of development goals and targets. An immediate objective of the monograph is to encourage the analysis and maximum utilization in planning of the data collected through censuses, vital registration system and sample surveys.