WA population eclipses 2.1m mark

Western Australia has recorded its biggest population jump in almost 20 years, with the number of people residing in the state eclipsing the 2.1 million mark at the end of June.

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week show WA’s population growth of 2.3 during the year to June, the highest in the country.

Queensland was close behind with a 2.2 per cent jump, the Northern Territory increased its population by 2 per cent, the ACT recorded a 1.7 per cent gain, Victoria’s population grew 1.5 per cent with New South Wales growing by 1.1 per cent.

The growth in all states and territories pushed Australia’s total population past 21 million, with an influx of 315,700 people pushing the number of people in Australia to 21,017,200, or a growth rate of 1.5 per cent.

CommSec chief economist Craig James said WA’s performance was the best it had achieved since the 1990 March quarter, when the state achieved growth of 2.31 per cent.

“WA has not frequently been out in front and it has vied for supremacy with Queensland,” Mr James said.

WA recorded a population growth rate of 2.17 per cent in the 2006 December quarter.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief economist John Nicolau said while WA’s strong population growth was good news, it would not be enough to sustain the labour demands of the local economy.

The CCI recently released a report that forecast an additional 400,000 people would be needed to fill jobs in WA during the next decade and predicted there would be a shortfall of 150,000 people.

The CCI estimates were based on a population growth forecast of 2.2 per cent.

“Even with 2.3 per cent it is not enough growth to really address our needs,” Mr Nicolau said.

“We need to look at ways to boost the labour force and the most immediate way to do that is to boost migration.”

There was actually a drop in overseas migration to WA in the three months to June 30, with 5,642 people migrating to WA compared to 8,014 in the previous quarter.

However, compared to previous June quarter, there was in increase of 1,857 migrants.

Interstate migration continued to increase, up from 1,234 people in the March quarter to 1,355 in the June quarter.

It is also higher than the 1,018 people that moved from other states and territories to WA in the previous June quarter.

WA’s baby boom rolled on with a 5.5 per cent jump in births compared to the previous quarter.

The ABS has forecast WA’s fertility rate to be at 1.97 births per woman.

Nationally, the fertility rate climbed to 1.85 births per woman, the highest rate in 14 years.

The ABS said that for the 12 months to June 30, Australia’s population growth was higher than the 1.2 per cent growth recorded globally.