Overview - Components of Population Change
The growth of Australia's population has two components: natural increase (the number of births minus the number of deaths) and net overseas migration (the difference between the number of incoming travellers and the number of outgoing travellers).
This activity involves looking at the contribution of each of these components in Australia’s population growth for the period 2006 - 2010.
Task 1. Births and Deaths
Look at the Population Change Summary, for Australia below.
Year | Components of population change |
Births ’000 | Deaths ’000 |
2006 | 268.5 | 134.5 |
2007 | 285.3 | 139.8 |
2008 | 294.1 | 142.5 |
2009 | 295.3 | 141.6 |
2010 | 289.5 | 143.4 |
TABLE 1A: Population Change Summary, Australia
(cat. No. 3101.0 Australian Demographic statistics, Sept 2011, PUBLICATION PDF, TABLE 1)
1. Use the births and deaths data in figure 1 to create a side by side bar graph comparing births and deaths for each year from 2006-2010. Choose your scale and label your graph carefully.
2. Births
a) Based on the data contained in table 1 and your graph, what trends or patterns do you observe in the number of births from 2006 - 2010.
b) Identify when the smallest and largest increases or decreases and the size of these movements.
c) Can you suggest possible reasons for these trends (or patterns)?
3. Deaths
a) Based on the data contained in table 1 and your graph, what trends or patterns do you observe in the number of deaths from 2006 - 2010.
b) Identify when the smallest and largest increases or decreases and the size of these movements.
c) Can you suggest possible reasons for any trends (or patterns)?
Task 2. Natural Population Increase (Births – Deaths)
4. a) Complete column 4 ‘Natural increase ‘000 in table 1B by subtracting the number of deaths from the number of births.
Year | Components of population change |
Births ’000 | Deaths ’000 | Natural Increase ‘000 |
2006 | 268.5 | 134.5 |  |
2007 | 285.3 | 139.8 | |
2008 | 294.1 | 142.5 | |
2009 | 295.3 | 141.6 | |
2010 | 289.5 | 143.4 | |
TABLE 1B: Population Change Summary, Australia
b) Show this increase in a line graph.
c) What trends or patterns can you observe?
d) In which year was the rate of increase greatest? In which year was the rate of increase the smallest? Use your observations to list some possible implications of any trends (or patterns) you notice in the natural population increase over this time.
Task 3. Total Population Growth (NI + NOM)
5. The table below includes migration figures for 2006 – 2010. Starting with the figures for 2006, show:
a) the estimated population for all years by factoring in births, deaths and migration (column 6)
b) the increase in population each year in ‘000s (column 7) and,
c) the % increase each year (column 8)
| Year | Components of population change | Population | Note: population estimates and their
components have sometimes been rounded.
Rounded figures and unrounded figures
should not be assumed to be accurate to
the last digit shown. Where figures have been
rounded, discrepancies may occur between
sums of component items and totals. |
Births
’000 | Deaths
’000 | Natural increase
(NI) ’000 | Net overseas
migration (NOM) ’000 | At end of period
’000 | Increase
’000 | Increase
% |
| 2006 | 268.5 | 134.5 | 134.0 | 182.2 | 20,873.7 | 329.6 | 1.60 |
| 2007 | 285.3 | 139.8 | 145.5 | 244.1 | | | |
| 2008 | 294.1 | 142.5 | 151.6 | 315.7 | | | |
| 2009 | 295.3 | 141.6 | 153.7 | 246.9 | | | |
| 2010 | 289.5 | 143.4 | 146.0 | 168.8 | | | |
TABLE 2: PERCENTAGE Population Change
6. Use a line graph to show how the population has changed over this period. Comment on what is shown.
7. Use a line graph to show how the net overseas migration has changed during this period. Comment on any trends.
8. In 2010 the contribution to population increase was higher for net overseas migration (54%) than for natural increase (46%). Complete the table below to see if the same applied for the years 2006 – 2010.
| Components of population change | Population |
| Year | Natural increase | Net overseas migration
(NOM) | At end of period | Increase | contribution of natural increase to overall increase | contribution of net annual migration to overall increase |
| ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | % | % |
2006 | 134 | 182.2 | 20,873.70 | 329.60 | | |
2007 | 145.5 | 244.1 | 21,263.30 | 389.60 | | |
2008 | 151.6 | 315.7 | 21,730.60 | 467.30 | | |
2009 | 153.7 | 246.9 | 22,131.20 | 400.60 | | |
2010 | 146 | 168.8 | 22,446.00 | 314.90 | 46.36% | 53.60% |
TABLE 3: CONTRIBUTION TO POPULATION CHANGE
9. In small groups of 3–4, discuss why it might be important for the Australian Government to encourage migrants to come to Australia. Write your answers below.
