MAIN FEATURES COMMENTARY


ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE - YEAR ENDING 30 SEPTEMBER 2017


AUSTRALIA: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary estimated resident population (ERP) of Australia at 30 September 2017 was 24,702,900 people. This is an increase of 395,600 people since 30 September 2016 and 103,900 people since 30 June 2017.

The annual population growth rate for the year ended 30 September 2017 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 30 September 2017 was higher from NOM (63.2%) than from natural increase (36.8%).

Natural Increase

The preliminary estimate of natural increase for the year ended 30 September 2017 was 145,500 people, a decrease of 4.0%, or 6,000 people, compared with natural increase for the year ended 30 September 2016 (151,500 people).

Births

The preliminary estimate of births for the year ended 30 September 2017 (306,500 births) decreased by 2,100 births from the year ended 30 September 2016 (308,600 births).

Deaths

The preliminary estimate of deaths for the year ended 30 September 2017 (161,000 deaths) increased by 3,900 deaths from the year ended 30 September 2016 (157,100 deaths).


Net Overseas Migration

For the year ended 30 September 2017, Australia's preliminary net overseas migration (NOM) estimate was 250,100 people. This was 15.4% (33,400 people) higher than the net overseas migration estimated for the year ended 30 September 2016 (216,800 people).

NOM arrivals increased by 7.1% (36,700 people) between the years ended 30 September 2016 (514,300 people) and 30 September 2017 (551,000 people).

NOM departures increased by 1.1% (3,300 people) between the years ended 30 September 2016 (297,500 people) and 30 September 2017 (300,800 people).

The preliminary NOM estimate for the September quarter 2017 (69,200 people) was 7.3% (4,700 people) higher than the September quarter 2016 (64,500 people).


STATES AND TERRITORIES: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary ERP for each state and territory at 30 September 2017 was as follows:

• New South Wales 7,895,800;
• Victoria 6,358,900;
• Queensland 4,948,700;
• South Australia 1,726,900;
• Western Australia 2,587,100;
• Tasmania 522,000;
• Northern Territory 246,100; and
• Australian Capital Territory 412,600.

Positive population growth occurred in all states and territories in the year ended 30 September 2017. Victoria recorded the fastest growth rate of all states and territories at 2.4%. The Northern Territory recorded the slowest growth rate at less than 1.0%.


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 30 September 2017, the proportion that each of these components contributed to population growth varied between the states and territories.

For the year ended 30 September 2017, natural increase was the major contributor to population change in Western Australia. NOM was the major contributor to population change in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, 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 30 September 2017 decreased in all states and territories except Victoria (up 6.5%) and the Northern Territory (up 0.2%).

The largest percentage decrease was recorded in the Australian Capital Territory, decreasing by 6.2% (400 births). This was followed by Tasmania (6.0%), Western Australia (4.0%), South Australia (3.6%), New South Wales (3.4%) and Queensland (1.4%). For more information, see table 10.

Deaths

The total number of deaths registered for the year ended 30 September 2017 increased in all states and territories.

The Australian Capital Territory recorded the largest percentage increase at 6.8% (100 deaths). This was followed by South Australia (5.1%), the Northern Territory (4.5%), Tasmania (3.2%), Victoria and Queensland (both 2.9%), New South Wales (1.5%) and Western Australia (0.5%). 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 30 September 2017. Compared with the previous year, NOM increased in all states and territories. The largest percentage increase in NOM was recorded in Tasmania at 45.8% (600 people). This was followed by the Australian Capital Territory which increased by 45.0% (1,100 people), New South Wales by 17.3% (14,600 people) and Victoria which increased by 15.3% (11,700 people). For more information, see table 12.

NOM arrivals

The number of NOM arrivals for the year ended 30 September 2017 increased in all states and territories except Western Australia (down 5.1%) and the Northern Territory (down 1.7%). The largest percentage increase in NOM arrivals was recorded in Tasmania at 18.1% (700 people). This was followed by the Australian Capital Territory (up 11.4%), Victoria (up 10.0%), New South Wales (up 9.9%), Queensland (up 5.2%) and South Australia (up 1.2%). For more information, see table 12.

NOM departures

Compared with the previous year, the number of NOM departures for the year ended 30 September 2017 increased in Victoria (up 4.4%), Tasmania (up 4.0%), New South Wales (up 3.6%) and Queensland (up 1.1%). The largest percentage decrease was recorded in Western Australia at 9.0%. This was followed by the Northern Territory (down 3.5%), the Australian Capital Territory (down 1.2%) and South Australia (down 1.0%). For more information, see table 12.


Net Interstate Migration

In the year ended 30 September 2017, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory recorded net interstate migration gains. Queensland had the highest net gain with 19,300 people, up from 13,000 people in the year ended 30 September 2016. This was followed by Victoria (16,900 people), Tasmania (1,000 people) and the Australian Capital Territory (300 people). Net losses from interstate migration were recorded in New South Wales (16,400 people), Western Australia (11,600), South Australia (5,800 people) and the Northern Territory (3,700 people). For more information, see table 13.