3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014-15 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/03/2016   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

TERRITORY SUMMARY

In the 12 months to June 2015, the estimated resident population of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) increased by 5,400 people to reach 390,700. The ACT grew by 1.4% over this period, a similar rate to Australia as a whole.

Much of the population growth in the ACT occurred in the north. The combined population of the northern SA3s increased by 5,100 people to reach 218,200. The southern SA3s increased by 230 people to 172,500, although three of the five SA3s in the south had a population decline.

Gungahlin had the largest growth of all SA3s in 2014-15 (up by 5,000 people), followed by the western SA3 of Cotter - Namadgi (up by 2,000 people) and North Canberra (290). In contrast, the population of the southern SA3 of Tuggeranong decreased by 950 people over the same period.



POPULATION CHANGE

Growth in the ACT

Much of the ACT's growth in the 12 months to 2015 occurred in the territory's newer suburbs. The largest population increases were in ACT - South West, which consists of the new suburbs Wright and Coombs (up by 2,000 people). This was followed by Harrison (1,600) and Crace (810), both in the northern SA3 of Gungahlin.

The SA2 of ACT - South West also experienced the fastest growth in the ACT, increasing by 127% in 2014-15. This was followed by growth in the northern suburbs, with Crace and Harrison each increasing by more than 20%.

Of the established SA2s, the highest growth rates were recorded in Ngunnawal (up by 6.2%), Acton (2.5%), Griffith (2.3%) and Bruce (1.9%). Most of this growth was in the Gungahlin area and the inner northern suburbs.

POPULATION CHANGE BY SA2, Australian Capital Territory - 2014-15
Diagram: POPULATION CHANGE BY SA2, Australian Capital Territory - 2014-15
SA2s WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH (a) (b), Australian Capital Territory

ERP at 30 June
Population Change
2015p
2014r-2015p
SA2
no.
no.
%

LARGEST GROWTH

ACT - South West
3 600
2 000
127.3
Harrison
8 400
1 600
22.8
Crace
3 700
810
28.2
Ngunnawal
10 100
590
6.2
Casey
4 300
520
13.7

FASTEST GROWTH

ACT - South West
3 600
2 000
127.3
Crace
3 700
810
28.2
Harrison
8 400
1 600
22.8
Forde
4 200
510
13.9
Casey
4 300
520
13.7

(a) All population figures presented in this table are rounded. Estimates of population change are based on unrounded numbers.
(b) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2014.
Growth in the surrounding region

Many people commute to Canberra daily from areas of New South Wales immediately surrounding the ACT. Population growth in these surrounding areas continued in 2014-15. The Queanbeyan SA3, to Canberra's east, grew by 260 people. North of the ACT, Goulburn - Yass increased by 370 people.


Population decline in the ACT

Relatively small population decreases occurred in 56% of all SA2s in the ACT in 2014-15, many of which were in the SA3s of Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Belconnen. The largest declines were in the long-established Tuggeranong SA2s of Kambah (down by 200 people), Weston (down by 170) and Wanniassa (down by 140).


POPULATION DENSITY

At June 2015, the overall population density of the ACT was 170 people per square kilometre (sq km). However, population density varied widely across the Territory. The SA3s of Weston Creek, North Canberra, Belconnen and Woden each had population densities of over 1,200 people per sq km, while Cotter - Namadgi (which covers more than two-thirds of the geographical area of the ACT) had a population density of 2.2 people per sq km.

The SA2s with the highest population densities were Braddon (4,100 people per sq km) in Canberra's inner north, followed by Palmerston and Harrison (both 2,900) in the Gungahlin SA3.

The largest increases in population density in 2014-15 occurred in the new, northern suburbs of Harrison (up by 530 people per sq km), Crace (490), Forde (270) and Franklin (230). Over half of all SA2s in the ACT recorded a decrease in population density in this period. The largest decreases were in Waramanga (down by 67 people per sq km), Fisher (down by 59), and Weston (down by 54).


POPULATION DENSITY BY SA2, Australian Capital Territory - June 2015

Diagram: POPULATION DENSITY BY SA2, Australian Capital Territory - June 2015


CENTRE OF POPULATION
The centre of population in the ACT at June 2015 was located on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin, in the suburb of Yarralumla. In the ten years to 2015, the centre of population moved 1.6 kilometres north. This reflects population growth in the northern suburbs of Canberra, especially within the Gungahlin SA3.