National, state and territory population

Latest release

Statistics about the population and components of change (births, deaths, migration) for Australia and its states and territories

Reference period
September 2023
Released
21/03/2024
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    National, state and territory population, December 2023
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    National, state and territory population, March 2024
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    National, state and territory population, June 2024
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Key statistics

Statistics in this release are commonly known as Estimated Resident Population (ERP).

  • Australia’s population was 26,821,557 people at 30 September 2023.
  • The quarterly growth was 172,700 people (0.6%).
  • The annual growth was 659,800 people (2.5%).
  • Annual natural increase was 111,000 and net overseas migration was 548,800.

National

Annual population change

In the year ending 30 September 2023, Australia's population grew by 659,800 people (2.5%).

  1. Annual growth calculated at the end of each quarter.
  2. All data after 30 June 2021 are subject to revision.

Australia's population growth is comprised of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net overseas migration (migration arrivals minus migration departures).

Components of quarterly population change

In the September 2023 quarter, natural increase:

  • was 27,400 people
  • increased by 2,500 (9.8%) people since the previous quarter
     

In the September 2023 quarter, net overseas migration:

  • was 145,200 people
  • increased by 21,800 (16.3%) people since the previous quarter

Components of annual population change

In the year ending 30 September 2023, natural increase:

  • was 111,000 people
  • decreased by 4,500 people (3.9%) since the previous year

 

In the year ending 30 September 2023, net overseas migration:

  • was 548,800 people
  • increased by 206,500 (60.3%) people since the previous year
  1. Annual components calculated at the end of each quarter.

Births and deaths

Births

In the year ending 30 September 2023:

  • there were 295,000 births
  • births decreased by 10,900 (3.6%) since the previous year
     

Deaths

In the year ending 30 September 2023:

  • there were 183,900 deaths
  • deaths decreased by 6,500 (3.4%) since the previous year
     

Overseas migration arrivals and departures

Overseas migration arrivals

In the year ending 30 September 2023:

  • there were 765,900 people immigrating to Australia
  • arrivals increased by 194,100 people (33.9%) since the previous year
     

Overseas migration departures

In the year ending 30 September 2023:

  • there were 217,100 people emigrating from Australia
  • departures decreased by 12,400 people (5.4%) since the previous year

States and territories

Annual population change

  • All states and territories had positive population growth over the year ending 30 September 2023.
  • Western Australia had the fastest growth rate (3.3%).
  • Tasmania had the slowest rate (0.3%).
Annual population change at 30 September 2023
 Population at 30 September 2023 ('000)Change over previous year ('000)Change over previous year (%)
New South Wales8394.7186.12.3
Victoria6865.4192.72.9
Queensland5495.5143.62.7
South Australia1860.130.71.7
Western Australia2905.993.63.3
Tasmania573.31.60.3
Northern Territory252.51.80.7
Australian Capital Territory469.29.62.1
Australia (a)26821.6659.82.5

a. Includes Other Territories comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island.
 

State and territory population change is comprised of natural increase, net overseas migration, and net interstate migration (interstate arrivals minus interstate departures).

Components of annual population change

For the year ending 30 September 2023:

  • net overseas migration was the major contributor to change in most states.
  • net interstate migration increase was the main contributor in the Northern Territory.

Natural increase by state and territory - annual

 
 NSWVic.QldSAWATas.NTACT
Births92,84077,66359,43118,60632,4385,3863,4335,122
Deaths59,94745,57936,42115,44817,7095,0701,2512,490
Natural increase32,89332,08423,0103,15814,7293162,1822,632

Net overseas migration by state and territory - annual

 
 NSWVic.QldSAWATas.NTACT
Overseas arrivals262,411218,186129,59038,19689,4017,1886,80114,047
Overseas departures75,97856,42841,6369,60921,7722,7883,6125,255
Net overseas migration186,433161,75887,95428,58767,6294,4003,1898,792

Net interstate migration by state and territory - annual

 
 NSWVic.QldSAWATas.NTACT
Interstate arrivals83,74475,850110,01124,87337,32212,80914,34220,046
Interstate departures116,94676,96977,38625,88026,08915,88817,94821,891
Net interstate migration-33,202-1,11932,625-1,00711,233-3,079-3,606-1,845

Quarterly internal migration, capital city - rest of state

Datacube 4 contains provisional statistics on internal migration between Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs) and Rest of state regions of Australia. Similar data was previously released in Regional internal migration estimates, provisional which covered the period June 2020 to March 2021. 

Internal migration for GCCSAs by financial year is released in Regional population annually, as regional internal migration estimates (RIME). The internal migration data in RIME and the state and territory migration data presented elsewhere in National, state and territory population are used to compile the official measure of population in Australia. The quarterly internal migration data released in datacube 4 are provisional, and should only be used to provide more timely insights on internal migration patterns.

Notes

COVID-19

Statistics in this release are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With border restrictions in place NOM fell to low levels including negative net migration. The removal of most border restrictions from February 2022 enabled overseas travel again and saw a recovery in NOM levels from 2022 onwards.

To ensure the ongoing production of fit-for-purpose official population estimates through the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABS has been assessing the likely impact of changed traveller behaviour on preliminary overseas migration estimates, a component of ERP. The ABS has introduced more frequent revisions to overseas migration to ensure the suite of demographic statistics continue to be of high quality and reflect the most timely data available. Preliminary overseas migration estimates will be revised every quarter over four quarters, instead of once after four quarters, until it becomes final. These more frequent revisions will ensure the most timely and accurate data flows through to ERP.

For further information see the Improvements to estimation of net overseas migration.

Data downloads - time series spreadsheets

I-note

Population components prior to September 2021 will not sum to total population growth due to intercensal difference.

Intercensal difference is the difference between the preliminary ERP for 30 June in a Census year (carried forward from the previous Census base using births, deaths and migration data) and the final ERP for the same time point (based on the new Census). The intercensal difference by age and sex for each state and territory is spread evenly across the intercensal quarters. Thus intercensal difference acts as a balancing item that when combined with births, deaths and migration equals total population growth for that period.

For more information see Methodology used in final rebased population estimates, June 2021.

Population and components of change - national

Quarterly population and components of change, national, from June 1981 onwards

Components of population change - states and territories

Quarterly components of change, by state and territory, from June 1981 onwards

Population - states and territories

Quarterly population by sex, by state and territory, from June 1981 onwards

Interstate migration arrivals

Quarterly interstate migration arrivals, from June 1981 onwards

Interstate migration departures

Quarterly interstate migration departures, from June 1981 onwards

Population - New South Wales

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, NSW, from 1971 onwards

Population - Victoria

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Vic., from 1971 onwards

Population - Queensland

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Qld, from 1971 onwards

Population - South Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, SA, from 1971 onwards

Population - Western Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, WA, from 1971 onwards

Population - Tasmania

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Tas., from 1971 onwards

Population - Northern Territory

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, NT, from 1971 onwards

Population - Australian Capital Territory

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, ACT, from 1971 onwards

Population - Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Aust., from 1971 onwards

All time series spreadsheets

Data downloads - data cubes

National, state and territory population tables

Various tables of population, components of change and rates, by state and territory. 

Population by age and sex - national

Summary statistics of Australia's population by age and sex

Standard population

Standard population used in age-standardised rates

Regional internal migration estimates, provisional

All data cubes

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 3101.0

Rebasing of Australia's population estimates using the 2021 Census

2021 Census update of the Net Interstate Migration model

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