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ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE - YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2018


AUSTRALIA: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary estimated resident population (ERP) of Australia at 31 March 2018 was 24,899,100 people. This is an increase of 380,700 people since 31 March 2017 and 125,100 people since 31 December 2017.

The annual population growth rate for the year ended 31 March 2018 was 1.6%.

COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE

The growth of Australia's population is comprised of 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 March 2018 was higher from NOM (62.2%) than from natural increase (37.8%).

Natural Increase

The preliminary estimate of natural increase for the year ended 31 March 2018 was 143,900 people, a decrease of 4.3%, or 6,500 people, compared with natural increase for the year ended 31 March 2017 (150,400 people).

Births

The preliminary estimate of births for the year ended 31 March 2018 (307,200 births) decreased by 2,600 births from the year ended 31 March 2017 (309,700 births).

Deaths

The preliminary estimate of deaths for the year ended 31 March 2018 (163,200 deaths) increased by 3,900 deaths from the year ended 31 March 2017 (159,300 deaths).


Net Overseas Migration

For the year ended 31 March 2018, Australia's preliminary net overseas migration (NOM) estimate was 236,800 people. This was 8.8% (22,800 people) lower than the net overseas migration estimated for the year ended 31 March 2017 (259,600 people).

NOM arrivals decreased by 2.0% (10,800 people) between the years ended 31 March 2017 (536,700 people) and 31 March 2018 (525,800 people).

NOM departures increased by 4.3% (12,000 people) between the years ended 31 March 2017 (277,100 people) and 31 March 2018 (289,000 people).

The preliminary NOM estimate for the March quarter 2018 (85,400 people) was 3.8% (3,400 people) lower than the March quarter 2017 (88,800 people).


STATES AND TERRITORIES: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary ERP for each state and territory at 31 March 2018 was as follows:

• New South Wales 7,955,900;
• Victoria 6,430,000;
• Queensland 4,990,700;
• South Australia 1,733,500;
• Western Australia 2,591,900;
• Tasmania 526,700;
• Northern Territory 246,700; and
• Australian Capital Territory 419,200.

Positive population growth occurred in all states and territories in the year ended 31 March 2018. Victoria recorded the fastest growth rate of all states and territories at 2.2%. The Northern Territory recorded the slowest growth rate at 0.1%.


COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE

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

Although all states and territories experienced positive population growth in the year ended 31 March 2018, the proportion that each of these components contributed to population growth varied between the states and territories.

For the year ended 31 March 2018, natural increase was the major contributor to population change in Queensland and Western Australia. NOM was the major contributor to population change in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. A net interstate migration loss was the largest component of population change in the Northern Territory.

Net interstate migration gains occurred in Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. All other states and territories recorded net interstate migration losses.


Natural Increase

Births

Compared with the previous year, the total number of births registered for the year ended 31 March 2018 decreased in all states and territories.

The largest percentage decrease was recorded in the Northern Territory at 3.9%. This was followed by Western Australia (3.0%), South Australia (2.9%), Tasmania (2.8%), the Australian Capital Territory (0.6%), Queensland (0.4%), New South Wales (0.3%) and Victoria (0.1%).

For more information, see table 10.

Deaths

The total number of deaths registered for the year ended 31 March 2018 increased in all states and territories except Western Australia (down 3.4%).

South Australia recorded the largest percentage increase at 4.7%. This was followed by New South Wales (3.8%), Queensland (3.4%), the Northern Territory (2.2%), Victoria (1.6%) and Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (both 1.3%). For more information, see table 11.

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 Explanatory Notes 10-11).


Net Overseas Migration

All states and territories recorded positive NOM for the year ending 31 March 2018. Compared with the previous year, NOM decreased in all states and territories except Western Australia (up 14.0%) and the Australian Capital Territory (up 8.5%).

The largest percentage decrease in NOM was recorded in the Northern Territory at 38.0%. This was followed by Queensland (13.6%), New South Wales (12.7%), Victoria (6.9%), Tasmania (3.0%) and South Australia (0.2%). For more information, see table 12.

NOM arrivals

The number of NOM arrivals for the year ended 31 March 2018 increased in Victoria (0.7%), the Australian Capital Territory (0.5%) and Tasmania (less than 0.1%).

The largest percentage decrease in NOM arrivals was recorded in the Northern Territory at 21.0%. This was followed by Western Australia (7.3%), New South Wales (3.1%), Queensland (1.1%) and South Australia (0.2%). For more information, see table 12.

NOM departures

Compared with the previous year, the number of NOM departures for the year ended 31 March 2018 increased in Victoria (10.8%), New South Wales (7.8%), Queensland (6.8%) and Tasmania (3.0%).

The largest percentage decrease was recorded in the Northern Territory at 14.6%. This was followed by Western Australia (13.9%), the Australian Capital Territory (4.8%) and South Australia (0.3%). For more information, see table 12.


Net Interstate Migration

In the year ended 31 March 2018, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory recorded net interstate migration gains. Queensland had the highest net gain with 24,000 people, up from 16,100 people in the year ended 31 March 2017. This was followed by Victoria (15,100 people), Tasmania (2,200 people) and the Australian Capital Territory (500 people). Net losses from interstate migration were recorded in New South Wales (20,500 people), Western Australia (12,000), South Australia (5,700 people) and the Northern Territory (3,600 people). For more information, see table 13.