3101.0 - Australian Demographic Statistics, Mar 2010 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/09/2010   
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MEDIA RELEASE
29 September, 2010
Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra Time)
121/2010



Australia's net overseas migration still dropping

Net overseas migration continued to decline to the end of March 2010, according to preliminary figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The preliminary net overseas migration estimate for the March quarter 2010 (61,800 people) was 37.0% below the historical high recorded for March quarter 2009 (98,100 people).

Australia's population reached 22,272,000 by the end of March 2010, with an increase of 403,100 people over the year. Net overseas migration accounted for 60% of this growth, with the remaining 40% due to natural increase (births minus deaths). The population growth rate was 1.8%, down from its peak of 2.2% in March 2009.

Based on preliminary figures, there were 303,500 births registered in the year ending March 2010, 3.1% more than the previous year. The number of deaths registered over the same period was 141,800, 1.1% fewer than the previous year.


Western Australia continued to record the fastest population growth rate at 2.3%, followed by Queensland (2.2%), Victoria (2.0%), the Northern Territory (1.9%), the Australian Capital Territory (1.8%), New South Wales (1.6%), South Australia (1.3%) and Tasmania (0.9%).

Population at end Mar qtr 2010
Change over previous year
Change over previous year
PRELIMINARY DATA
'000
'000
%

New South Wales
7 221.0
111.3
1.6
Victoria
5 529.4
106.8
2.0
Queensland
4 498.9
97.1
2.2
South Australia
1 640.7
21.0
1.3
Western Australia
2 286.1
51.6
2.3
Tasmania
507.1
4.6
0.9
Northern Territory
228.5
4.2
1.9
Australian Capital Territory
357.7
6.4
1.8
Australia(a)
22 271.9
403.1
1.8

(a) Includes Other Territories.

More details are available in Australian Demographic Statistics, March Quarter 2010 (cat. no. 3101.0).

For population estimates at the regional level, please see Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008–09 (cat. no. 3218.0) and Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia, 2009 (cat. no. 3235.0).