Photo credit: Prezi

Overseas migration continues to be the major contributor to Australia’s population growth, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.

New South Wales and Victoria have continued to experience high population growth in the year to 31 March 2014, going against the trend of slowing annual growth around the rest of Australia.

Australia’s total population increased by 388,400 people to reach 23.4 million by the end of March 2014, with a growth rate of 1.7 per cent, a continuation of the average annual growth rate for the past three years.

Natural increase contributed 156,900 people to Australia’s population in the year to 31 March 2014, consisting of 306,500 births and 149,600 deaths. Net overseas migration contributed 231,500 to the population over the same period, accounting for 60 per cent of Australia’s total growth.

Natural increase and net overseas migration contributed 40 per cent and 60 per cent respectively to total population growth for the year.

All states and territories recorded positive population growth. Western Australia continued to record the fastest growth rate of all states and territories at 2.5 per cent and Tasmania recorded the slowest growth rate at 0.3 per cent.

Director of Demography at the ABS said Denise Carlton said that in past year the, the populations of New South Wales and Victoria grew by 114,500 and 108,800 respectively.

“This is like adding close to the population of Darwin to New South Wales or Victoria,” Ms Carlton said.

“Net overseas migration (NOM) was the main contributor to both New South Wales and Victoria’s population growth, accounting for 67 and 57 per cent of the states’ growth respectively.

“Notably, the NOM contribution to Victoria’s growth is below the Australian rate of 60 per cent, which highlights the recent increase in net interstate migration to the state.

“We’re also seeing fewer people moving to Queensland and Western Australia. Queensland recorded one of its lowest annual gains on record, slowing by 65 per cent in five years. Meanwhile, New South Wales recorded its lowest annual interstate loss in nearly 30 years and Victoria recorded its highest annual gain on record”.

“Western Australia continued to have the country’s fastest population growth rate at 2.5 per cent in the year to March 2014, although this has slowed significantly from 3.5 per cent growth a year ago. This is due to a drop in both overseas arrivals and internal migration, though the number of births continues to rise”, Ms Carlton said.

Cesira Colleluori
AMES Staff Writer