Australia’s population is growing and on the move again, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The latest figures show a growth of 0.9% in the year to March 2022, with overseas migration once again a significant factor.
Beidar Cho, Demography Director at the ABS, said that with the softening of international border closures, net overseas migration added an estimated 110,000 people to the population.
“After two years of mostly low or no population growth, overseas migration is again a significant contributor to Australia’s population increase, accounting for almost half of the growth in the year to March 2022”, Cho noted.
The strength in net overseas migration was driven by a large increase in arrivals (up 183% on the previous year to 320,000) while overseas migrant departures held steady (up 1.5% to 210,400).
In contrast, this result is a strong turnaround from overseas migration in the year to March 2021 (down 94,300), but still trails recent pre-pandemic annual levels which ranged from 238,000 to 260,000.
Data from Overseas Arrivals and Departures showing visa types of Arrivals over the period indicated a strong return of international students to our shores, which will lift the demand for rental homes even further.
All states and territories had positive population growth over the year ending 31 March 2022. Queensland had the highest growth rate (1.8%), followed by Western Australia with 1.2%. Elsewhere, growth remained in single figures, with South Australia lifting 0.9%, Tasmania and the ACT both up by 0.7%, Victoria 0.6%, NSW 0.5% and the Northern Territory 0.4%.
