3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012-13 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/04/2014   
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WESTERN AUSTRALIA



State summary

Population change in Greater Perth

Population change in the rest of Western Australia

Population density

Centre of population


STATE SUMMARY

At June 2013, the estimated resident population of Western Australia (WA) was 2.52 million people, which represented 11% of the total Australian population. WA's population increased by 3.3% (81,300 people) between 2012 and 2013. This was the fastest growth of all the states and territories, and well above the national growth rate of 1.8%.

POPULATION CHANGE BY SA2, Western Australia - 2012-13
Diagram: POPULATION CHANGE BY SA2, Western Australia—2012–13


POPULATION CHANGE IN GREATER PERTH

At June 2013, the population of Greater Perth was 1.97 million people, which was 78% of the state's total population. Between 2012 and 2013, Greater Perth increased by 3.5% (67,500 people). This was the fastest growth rate among Australia's capital cities.

The largest population growth in WA occurred in the outer suburban areas of Greater Perth. The south-west SA2 of Baldivis had the largest increase, up by 3,200 people. Ellenbrook in the north-east, and Forrestdale - Harrisdale - Piara Waters in the south-east followed, increasing by 2,500 and 1,800 people respectively. Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood and Perth City also had relatively large growth, both up by 1,700 people.

Forrestdale - Harrisdale - Piara Waters in the south-east was the fastest-growing SA2 within Greater Perth, increasing by 19% to reach 11,100 people. This was followed by Baldivis, Anketell - Wandi, Yanchep and Bertram - Wellard (West), all outer suburban coastal areas of Greater Perth. These SA2s all had increases above 10%.

SA2s WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH(a), Western Australia

ERP at 30 June
Population Change
2013p
2012r-2013p
SA2
no.
no.
%

LARGEST GROWTH

Baldivis
23 300
3 200
15.8
Ellenbrook
29 500
2 500
9.3
Forrestdale - Harrisdale - Piara Waters
11 100
1 800
19.1
Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood
23 700
1 700
7.9
Perth City
31 400
1 700
5.6

FASTEST GROWTH(b)

Forrestdale - Harrisdale - Piara Waters
11 100
1 800
19.1
Baldivis
23 300
3 200
15.8
Anketell - Wandi
1 500
200
15.1
Yanchep
10 400
1 300
14.8
Bertram - Wellard (West)
10 200
990
10.8

(a) All population figures presented in this table are rounded. Estimates of population change are based on unrounded numbers.
(b) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2012.


POPULATION CHANGE IN THE REST OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Population growth

Between 2012 and 2013, the rest of WA grew by 13,800 people (2.6%) to 547,000. This represented 22% of the state's population.

Bunbury recorded the largest increase of all SA3s outside of Greater Perth, up by 2,900 people. Pilbara in the north followed, with an increase of 2,100 people. The fastest increases were in Kimberley (up by 4.6%) and Augusta - Margaret River - Busselton (4.1%).

Of all SA2s outside of Greater Perth, Busselton in the south-west of the state, and Karratha in the north, had the largest growth, each with an increase of 1,000 people. This was followed by Australind - Leschenault in the south-west, and Broome in the north, both up by 800 people.

The fastest-growing SA2s were located in the north of the state. Derby - West Kimberley had the fastest growth, up by 7.0%, followed by Broome (5.8%) and Karratha (5.6%). Chittering, located inland and just north of Greater Perth, also grew by 5.6%.


Population decline

No SA3s in the rest of WA declined in population in 2012-13.

Population declined in around 10% of the SA2s in the rest of WA. These included the neighbouring wheatbelt areas of Kulin, down by 80 people (1.7%), and Merredin, down by 60 (1.2%).

POPULATION DENSITY

WA's population density at June 2013 was 1.0 person per square kilometre (sq km). This was the second lowest of all the states and territories after the Northern Territory (0.2 people per sq km), and compares with 3.0 people per sq km for Australia as a whole.

Greater Perth had a population density of 310 people per sq km, while the rest of WA had 0.2 people per sq km. In the year to 2013, the density of Greater Perth increased by 10 people per sq km.

The SA2s with the highest population densities in Greater Perth were the north-west areas of Tuart Hill - Joondanna (3,600 people per sq km), Scarborough (3,300) and Innaloo - Doubleview (3,100), and North Perth (also 3,100), which adjoins the central business district. Mount Hawthorn - Leederville and Nollamara - Westminster also had densities of more than 2,900 people per sq km. All of these SA2s have an area of 6.0 sq km or less.

POPULATION DENSITY BY SA2, Greater Perth - June 2013
Diagram: POPULATION DENSITY BY SA2, Greater Perth—June 2013


CENTRE OF POPULATION

At June 2013, the centre of population for WA was near the Avon Valley National Park, roughly 20 km west of the town of Toodyay. In the ten years to 2013, the centre moved 4.2 kilometres north-west, partly due to high population growth in the north of the state.

The centre of population for Greater Perth at June 2013 was in the suburb of Como, just east of the Kwinana Freeway.