Population growth at 10-year low

Population growth rates have fallen in Western Australia and across the country as a whole, with WA experiencing a sharp drop in overseas migration and a net loss of people through interstate movements.

Australia’s population expanded by 313,200 people over the year to September 2015, to 23.8 million, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

That equated to a growth rate of just 1.33 per cent, which was a 10-year low.

Population growth was strongest in Victoria (1.74 per cent), followed by the ACT (1.42 per cent), NSW (1.36 per cent), and WA (1.27 per cent).

Tasmania (0.42 per cent) and the Northern Territory (0.34 per cent) had the smallest growth.

The decline in national population growth was mainly driven by a fall in the number of people migrating from overseas, to 167,600.

This was the lowest net migration from overseas in 10 years.

WA’s population grew to 2.59 million, with a net addition of 32,542 people over the year to September 2015.

Natural increase (up 21,014) and net overseas migration (up 14,249) were offset by a net loss of 2,721 people to other states.

Net interstate migration to WA has been negative for the past six quarters, indicating the rapid growth experienced over the past decade has well and truly reversed.

Victoria and Queensland were the only winners from net interstate migration, with Victoria continuing a recent trend of recording the highest net gain with 11,200 people, and Queensland attracting 6,900 people, 

The latest figures for WA contrast with the record population growth of 87,914 people in the year to December 2012.

Growth in that period was driven by net overseas migration (56,291) and net interstate migration (10,803).