MEDIA RELEASE
December 2, 2008	Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEDT)	115/2008

Australia recorded its fastest population growth since 1989, according to figures released today from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

As at 30 June 2008, Australia's population had grown to 21,374,000, an increase of 1.7% or 359,000 people. Net overseas migration contributed 213,500 people (or 59% of growth) to Australia's population and natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) contributed 145,500 (41%).

Western Australia continues to record the fastest population growth (2.7%), followed by Queensland and the Northern Territory (2.3%), Victoria (1.8%), the Australian Capital Territory (1.3%), South Australia and New South Wales (1.1%) and Tasmania (1.0%) for the year ended June 2008.

Queensland and Western Australia received the most people from net interstate migration, gaining 23,100 and 3,800 people respectively from the other states and territories. The states that lost the most people to net interstate migration include New South Wales (down 21,900), South Australia (down 4,400) and Victoria (down 2,500).

Australia's total fertility rate has increased to 1.93 births per woman, the highest rate since 1981.

Further, Australia's standardised death rate was 6.03 deaths per 1,000 people.

More details are available in Australian Demographic Statistics, June Quarter 2008 (cat. no. 3101.0), available for free download from the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>.