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ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE - YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2014


AUSTRALIA: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary estimated resident population (ERP) of Australia at 31 December 2014 was 23,625,600 people. This reflects an increase of 330,200 people since 31 December 2013 and 64,000 people since 30 September 2014.

The annual population growth rate for the year ended 31 December 2014 was 1.4%.

COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE

The growth of Australia's population has two components: natural increase (the number of births minus the number of deaths) and net overseas migration (NOM).

The contribution to population growth for the year ended 31 December 2014 was higher from net overseas migration (56%) than from natural increase (44%).

Natural Increase

The preliminary estimate of natural increase for the year ended 31 December 2014 was 146,100 people, a decrease of 7.8%, or 12,300 people, compared with natural increase for the year ended 31 December 2013 (158,400 people).

Births

The preliminary estimate of births for the year ended 31 December 2014 (299,700 births) decreased by 5,400 births from the year ended 31 December 2013 (305,100 births).

Deaths

The preliminary estimate of deaths for the year ended 31 December 2014 (153,600 deaths) increased by 6,900 deaths from the year ended 31 December 2013 (146,700 deaths).


Net Overseas Migration

For the year ended 31 December 2014, Australia's preliminary net overseas migration (NOM) estimate was 184,100 people. This was 14.8% (32,000 people) lower than the net overseas migration estimated for the year ended 31 December 2013 (216,200 people).

NOM arrivals decreased by 5.3% (26,600 people) between the years ended 31 December 2013 (500,200 people) and 31 December 2014 (473,500 people).

NOM departures increased by 1.9% (5,400 people) between the years ended 31 December 2013 (284,000 people) and 31 December 2014 (289,400 people).

The preliminary net overseas migration estimate for the December quarter 2014 (32,500 people) was 32.5% (15,700 people) lower than the estimate for the December quarter 2013 (48,200 people).


STATES AND TERRITORIES: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary estimated resident population for each state and territory at 31 December 2014 was as follows:

• New South Wales 7,565,500;
• Victoria 5,886,400;
• Queensland 4,750,500;
• South Australia 1,691,500;
• Western Australia 2,581,300;
• Tasmania 515,200;
• Northern Territory 244,300; and
• Australian Capital Territory 387,600.

All states and territories recorded positive population growth in the year ended 31 December 2014. Victoria recorded the fastest growth rate of all states and territories at 1.75%. Tasmania recorded the slowest growth rate at 0.3%.


COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE

At the state and territory level, population growth has three components: natural increase, net overseas migration and net interstate migration.

Although all states and territories experienced positive population growth in the year ended 31 December 2014, the proportion that each of these components contributed to population growth varied between the states and territories.

For the year ended 31 December 2014, natural increase was the major component of population change in Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Net overseas migration was the major component of population change in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. A net interstate migration loss was the largest component of population change in the Northern Territory. Net interstate migration losses were recorded in all states and territories except for Victoria and Queensland.


Natural Increase

Births

Compared with the previous year, the total number of births registered for the year ended 31 December 2014 decreased in all states and territories except for South Australia and Western Australia, which recorded increases in birth registrations of 2.7% and 3.4% respectively.

The largest percentage decrease was recorded in New South Wales, decreasing by 6.9% (6,700 births). This was followed by both Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (down 0.9%). For more information, see table 13.

Deaths

The total number of deaths registered for the year ended 31 December 2014 increased in all states and territories. The Northern Territory recorded the largest increase at 6.1% (70 people). This was followed by Victoria (up 6.0%) and New South Wales (up 5.6%). For more information, see table 14.

Preliminary estimates of births and deaths are subject to fluctuations caused by lags or accumulations in the reporting of birth and death registrations (for more information see paragraphs 10-11 of the Explanatory Notes).


Net Overseas Migration

All states and territories recorded positive NOM for the year ending 31 December 2014. Only New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory recorded an increase when compared with the previous year (1.9% and 4.1% respectively). All other states and territories recorded decreases in NOM when compared with the previous year. The largest percentage decrease in NOM was recorded in the Northern Territory at 56.0% (by 1,900 people). This was followed by Western Australia, which decreased by 47.6% (by 17,200 people), and Queensland which decreased by 30.9% (by 10,800 people). For more information, see table 16.

NOM arrivals

Compared with the previous year ended 31 December 2013, half of all the states and territories recorded decreases in NOM arrivals. Western Australia recorded the largest decrease in both percentage and numbers at 20.8% (15,600 people). This was followed by the Northern Territory at 19.4% (1,500 people) and Queensland at 10.6% (9,900 people). Small increases in NOM arrivals were recorded in the Australian Capital Territory at 0.8% (100 people), Victoria 0.4% (500 people) and New South Wales and Tasmania at 0.2% (400 and 10 people respectively). For more information, see table 16.

NOM departures

Compared with the previous year ended 31 December 2013, the number of NOM departures increased in all states and territories except for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, which recorded small decreases of 0.9% (900 people) and 0.3% (20 people) respectively. The largest percentage increase was recorded in the Northern Territory at 8.5% (370 people). This was followed by Victoria at 4.4% (2,900 people) and Western Australia at 4.1% (1,600 people). For more information, see table 16.


Net Interstate Migration

In the year ended 31 December 2014, only Victoria and Queensland recorded net interstate migration (NIM) gains. Victoria continued a recent trend of recording the highest gain with 9,300 people, up from 7,500 people in the year ended 31 December 2013. This was followed by Queensland with 5,600 people, which was down from 6,900 in the previous year. Net losses from interstate migration were recorded in New South Wales (5,600 people), the Northern Territory (3,400 people), South Australia (2,700 people), the Australian Capital Territory (1,500 people), and Tasmania (1,300 people). For more information, see table 17.