3101.0 - Australian Demographic Statistics, Jun 2010 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 21/12/2010   
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MEDIA RELEASE
21 December 2010
Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
165/2010

Australia's population growth rate lowest since March 2007

Australia's annual population growth rate slowed to 1.7% in the year ending June 2010, according to preliminary figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is down from its peak growth rate of 2.2% in the year ending June 2009 and is the lowest since the year ending March 2007.

Western Australia continued to record the fastest population growth rate at 2.2%, followed by Queensland (2.0%), Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (both 1.8%), New South Wales and the Northern Territory (both 1.5%), South Australia (1.2%) and Tasmania (0.9%).

Australia's population reached 22,342,000 by the end of June 2010, growing by 377,100 people over the year. Net overseas migration accounted for 57% of this growth, with the remaining 43% due to natural increase (births minus deaths).

Net overseas migration continued to decline to the end of June 2010. The preliminary net overseas migration estimate for the June quarter 2010 (32,300 people) was 44.3% lower than the June quarter 2009 (58,100 people).

Based on preliminary figures, there were 302,200 births registered in the year ending June 2010, 1.7% more than the previous year. The number of deaths registered over the same period was 140,600, 2.2% fewer than the previous year.

Australia's median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) increased by 4.8 years over the past 20 years, from 32.1 years at 30 June 1990 to 36.9 years in 2010. Of all the states and territories, Tasmania recorded the highest median age (39.9 years) and the Northern Territory the lowest (31.3 years) at 30 June 2010.

During the same period, the proportion of children aged 0-14 years decreased by 3.1 percentage points. The proportion of people aged 15-64 years increased by 0.7 percentage points and the proportion of people aged 65 years and over by 2.4 percentage points.

Population at end Jun qtr 2010
Change over previous year
Change over previous year
PRELIMINARY DATA
'000
'000
%

New South Wales
7 238.8
105.4
1.5
Victoria
5 547.5
99.3
1.8
Queensland
4 516.4
89.1
2.0
South Australia
1 644.6
20.1
1.2
Western Australia
2 296.4
49.1
2.2
Tasmania
507.6
4.4
0.9
Northern Territory
229.7
3.5
1.5
Australian Capital Territory
358.9
6.3
1.8
Australia(a)
22 342.4
377.1
1.7

(a) Includes Other Territories.

Further information is available in Australian Demographic Statistics, June Quarter 2010 (cat. no. 3101.0).

For population estimates at the regional level, please see Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008–09 (cat. no. 3218.0) and Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia, 2009 (cat. no. 3235.0).

Media note:
When reporting ABS data the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.