3237.2 - Population Mobility, Victoria, Oct 1999  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/03/2000   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

MEDIA RELEASE

March 24, 2000
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
/2000

ABS: Victoria's movers - how many, how far and why

According to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), over a million adults in Victoria (29% of people aged 18 years and over) moved house at least once in the three years to October 1999.

People aged between 25 and 34 years were the most mobile, with 53% having moved. This percentage decreases steadily as age increases, with only 9% of people aged 65 years and over having moved.

Short term rentals were common with 67% of current renters having moved, compared with 31% of purchasers and only 10% of home owners.

Three quarters of the people relocating within Victoria moved less than 20 kilometres, and half of these moved less than 5 kilometres from their previous home.

Almost 50% of the people who left dwellings within Melbourne gave various housing reasons such as wanting a bigger home as their main reason for moving. This contrasts with 38% of movers whose previous home was outside Melbourne. Factors related to employment prompted 18% of moves in regional and rural Victoria but only 9% in Melbourne.

This pattern of moving seems set to continue with 780,000 people in Victoria (22% of those aged 18 or over) expecting to move in the next three years. Again, people aged 25 to 34 years are most likely to move (36%) while people 55 years and over are least likely (9%).

Main reasons given for intended moves show a similar pattern (in major category groupings) to main reasons given for past moves within Victoria. A noticeable difference is that no moves attributable to marriage or relationship breakdown are anticipated, compared with 44,000 previously.

The main reason that 151,000 people are planning to move is that they are wanting to buy or build their own home. At 19%, this was the most common reason given for a likely move.

Further details can be found in Population Mobility, Victoria (cat. no. 3237.2) available in ABS bookshops in capital cities. A summary of the main features may be found on this site.