Victoria and Melbourne continue to lead Australia’s population growth reflecting the state’s attractiveness to migrants from overseas and interstate, new Australian Bureau of Statistics’ data shows.

Victoria had the largest growth in terms of absolute numbers with 1.1 million people during the decade to June 2016, the ABS shows.

Melbourne had the largest growth of all Greater Capital Cities in the ten years to 2016 with 964,600 new residents, followed by Sydney with 773,600, Brisbane with 452,000 and Perth with 445,100.

And four of the top seven fastest growth suburban areas were in greater Melbourne and five of the nine largest growth areas, according to the ABS data.

Top of the national list of growth suburbs was Tarneit which grew by 372 per cent by adding almost 29,000 residents. Central Melbourne grew by 172 per cent with an extra 26,000 people, Cranbourne East added 22,500 residents or 534 per cent and Truganina and Doreen grew by about 700 per cent by each adding just over 20,000 residents.

Australia’s estimated resident population (ERP) reached 24.2 million at 30 June 2016, increasing by 3.8 million people or 18 per cent over previous ten years.

All states and territories experienced population growth between 2006 and 2016 with NSW experiencing the second highest total with 996,600 followed by Queensland with 840,900.

Western Australia’s population grew fastest increasing by 25 per cent, followed by Victoria with 22 per cent, Queensland with 21 per cent, the Australian Capital Territory with 20 per cent, Northern Territory with 18 per cent and New South Wales with 15 per cent. Tasmania had the slowest growth with just 5.8 per cent and South Australia saw ten per cent growth.

The combined population of Greater Capital Cities increased by 2.9 million people or 22 per cent accounting for 77 per cent of the country’s total population growth.

Laurie Nowell
AMES Australia Senior Journalist