3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/03/2019   
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MAIN FEATURES

Between 2017 and 2018:

  • The number of people living in Australia's Greater Capital Cities increased by 307,800 (or 1.9%).
  • The number of people living outside capital cities increased by 83,200 (1.0%).
  • Capital city growth accounted for 79% of Australia's total population growth.
  • The capital city with the largest increase in population was Melbourne (119,400 people), followed by Sydney (93,400) and Brisbane (50,100).
  • The fastest growing city was Melbourne (2.5%), ahead of the Australian Capital Territory (2.2%) and Brisbane (2.1%).
  • The only capital city to have a decline in population was Darwin, down by 360 people (-0.2%).

ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION, States and Territories - Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs)
ERP AT 30 JUNE
POPULATION CHANGE
2018
2017-2018
GCCSA
no.
no.
%
NSW
Greater Sydney
5 230 330
93 411
1.8
Rest of NSW
2 757 911
26 894
1.0
Total
7 988 241
120 305
1.5
Vic.
Greater Melbourne
4 963 349
119 421
2.5
Rest of Vic.
1 497 326
19 648
1.3
Total
6 460 675
139 069
2.2
Qld
Greater Brisbane
2 462 637
50 120
2.1
Rest of Qld
2 548 579
33 467
1.3
Total
5 011 216
83 587
1.7
SA
Greater Adelaide
1 345 777
11 339
0.8
Rest of SA
390 645
1 160
0.3
Total
1 736 422
12 499
0.7
WA
Greater Perth
2 059 484
21 582
1.1
Rest of WA
535 708
-583
-0.1
Total
2 595 192
20 999
0.8
Tas.
Greater Hobart
232 606
3 346
1.5
Rest of Tas.
295 595
2 445
0.8
Total
528 201
5 791
1.1
NT
Greater Darwin
148 564
-355
-0.2
Rest of NT
98 763
165
0.2
Total
247 327
-190
-0.1
ACT
420 960
8 935
2.2
Australia(a)
Greater Capital City
16 863 707
307 799
1.9
Rest of Australia
8 129 153
83 201
1.0
Total
24 992 860
391 000
1.6
(a) Includes Other Territories.


DRIVERS OF CAPITAL CITY POPULATION GROWTH

In 2017-18:
  • Most of Melbourne's population growth (65%) was due to net overseas migration, natural increase accounted for 30% and net internal migration 5%.
  • While net overseas migration added 77,100 people to the population in Sydney, the city recorded a net internal migration loss, meaning 27,300 more people left Sydney to move to other parts of Australia than arrived from other parts of the country.
  • Net overseas migration, net internal migration and natural increase each accounted for around one-third of Brisbane's population growth.
  • Perth also recorded a net internal migration loss (-5,800 people), while natural increase added 16,000 people to the city's population and net overseas migration added 11,400.
  • For Adelaide, population gains from natural increase (4,800 people) were more than offset by a net internal migration loss (-5,100), while net overseas migration added 11,600 to the city's population.
  • In the ACT, 54% of population growth was attributed to net overseas migration, 40% to natural increase and 6% to net internal migration.
  • Net overseas migration contributed to 45% of Hobart's population growth, compared to 38% from net internal migration and 18% from natural increase.
  • Darwin experienced a net internal migration loss of 2,800 people, which offset gains made from natural increase (1,800) and net overseas migration (640), contributing to an overall population decline for the city.

Figure 1. COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE, Greater Capital Cities, Australia, 2017-18
Image: Components of Population Change, Greater Capital Cities, Australia, 2017-18



AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST AND FASTEST GROWING AREAS

Largest growth areas: The Statistical Level Area 2 (SA2) of Cranbourne East in Melbourne's outer south-east (up by 7,300 people), followed by the outer Sydney suburbs of Riverstone - Marsden Park (5,000) in the north-west and Cobbitty - Leppington (4,500) in the south-west.

Fastest growth areas: Rockbank - Mount Cottrell (59%) in Melbourne's outer west, followed by Mickleham - Yuroke (52%) in Melbourne's outer north.

Regional growth areas: Outside of the capital cities, Pimpama, on Queensland's Gold Coast, was both the largest and fastest growing area in Australia (up by 3,700 people, or 29%).


SA2s WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH
ERP AT 30 JUNE
POPULATION CHANGE
2018
2017-2018
NATIONAL RANK & SA2(a) SA4
no.
no.
%
LARGEST GROWTH
1 Cranbourne EastMelbourne - South East
41 381
7 251
21.2
2 Riverstone - Marsden ParkSydney - Blacktown
26 630
5 008
23.2
3 Cobbitty - LeppingtonSydney - South West
26 918
4 463
19.9
4 MelbourneMelbourne - Inner
49 097
3 770
8.3
5 PimpamaGold Coast
16 134
3 674
29.5
6 TarneitMelbourne - West
43 403
3 660
9.2
7 Rouse Hill - Beaumont HillsSydney - Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury
27 828
2 672
10.6
8 TruganinaMelbourne - West
30 249
2 616
9.5
9 Mickleham - YurokeMelbourne - North West
7 361
2 525
52.2
10 JimboombaLogan - Beaudesert
31 156
2 489
8.7
FASTEST GROWTH(b)
1 Rockbank - Mount CottrellMelbourne - West
6 455
2 405
59.4
2 Mickleham - YurokeMelbourne - North West
7 361
2 525
52.2
3 PimpamaGold Coast
16 134
3 674
29.5
4 Riverstone - Marsden ParkSydney - Blacktown
26 630
5 008
23.2
5 Palmerston - SouthDarwin
4 947
878
21.6
6 Cranbourne EastMelbourne - South East
41 381
7 251
21.2
7 Cobbitty - LeppingtonSydney - South West
26 918
4 463
19.9
8 WollertMelbourne - North East
13 723
2 220
19.3
9 GreenwayAustralian Capital Territory
2 439
387
18.9
10 CoombsAustralian Capital Territory
2 940
461
18.6
(a) National Rank based on population change between June 2017 and June 2018. See paragraphs 41 and 42 of the Explanatory Notes.
(b) Excludes SA2s with less than 1,000 people at June 2017.

POPULATION CHANGE BY SA2, Australia - 2017-18
Image: Map showing Population Change by SA2, Australia, 2017-18