MEDIA RELEASE
June 24, 2008	Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEDT)	61/2008

Australia's population grew at its fastest rate since 1988 according to figures released today from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The population growth rate for Australia during 2007 was 1.6% (or 331,900 people), for a total of 21,181,000 people.

Western Australia and the Northern Territory recorded the fastest population growth at 2.4%, followed by Queensland, 2.3%, Victoria 1.6%, Australian Capital Territory 1.3%, New South Wales 1.1%, South Australia 1.0% and Tasmania 0.8%.

Net overseas migration contributed more than half the population increase (184,400 people or 56%), and natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) added a further 147,400 people (or 44%).

The overseas migration increase represents an average of over 1,100 immigrant arrivals and 620 departures per day.

Queensland and Western Australia continued as the leaders in interstate migration, gaining 25,600 and 3,800 people respectively from the other states.

The Northern Territory (860), the Australian Capital Territory (350) and Tasmania (290) also grew from interstate migration, while New South Wales (-24,000), South Australia (-3,800) and Victoria (-3,100) lost people.

As at 31 December 2007, the resident population for each state and territory was:

New South Wales 6,927,000;	Western Australia 2,131,000;
Victoria 5,246,000;	Tasmania 495,800;
Queensland 4,228,000;	Northern Territory 217,600;
South Australia 1,592,000;	Australian Capital Territory 340,800.

More details are available in Australian Demographic Statistics, December Quarter 2007(cat. no. 3101.0), available for free download.