3101.0 - Australian Demographic Statistics, Jun 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/12/2006   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All
MEDIA RELEASE
December 7, 2006
Embargoed 11.30am (AEDT)
116/2006

WA has the fastest growing population: ABS


Western Australia became Australia's fastest growing state in 2005-06, recording a population growth rate of 2.0%, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

WA's population increased by 39,900 people (2.0%) in the year to 30 June 2006. Numerically, Queensland continued to have the largest growth (76,400 people or 1.9%).

Australia's growth rate was 1.3% - the highest annual growth rate in the past five years. Australia's population increased by 265,700 people - reaching 20.6 million.

Natural increase (excess of births over deaths) for 2005-06 was 131,200 people for Australia, 5.4% higher than that recorded for the previous year. The number of deaths increased, taking 133,100 people from Australia's population.

Births added 264,300 people to the population in 2005-06. This increase gives a total fertility rate of 1.83 births per woman, the highest since 1994-95, when it was 1.84 births per women.

Net overseas migration in 2005-06 was 134,600 people, an increase of 8.7% on the 2004-05 figure.

Natural increase and net overseas migration contributed 49% and 51% respectively to Australia's total population growth.

Population growth in the states and territories comprises three components: natural increase, net overseas migration and net interstate migration.

Natural increase was the major component of population growth in the Australian Capital Territory (2,900 people), the Northern Territory (2,800 people), Tasmania (2,500 people) and Queensland (29,200 people) for the year ended 30 June 2006.

Net overseas migration over the same period was the major component of population growth in South Australia (9,500 people), New South Wales (42,200 people), Victoria (38,600 people) and Western Australia (21,500 people).

Queensland experienced the highest positive net interstate migration with an increase of 25,800 people for the year.

Further details are in Australian Demographic Statistics, June quarter 2006 (cat. no. 3101.0).

Media Note: The total fertility rate (TFR) represents the average number of live born babies that a woman could expect to bear during her reproductive lifetime if current fertility rates continued.