MEDIA RELEASE
26 March 2015	Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	41/2015

Queensland's population growth has slowed to its lowest rate in 15 years, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

"The sunshine state's growth rate was 1.5 per cent in the year to September 2014." said Phil Browning from the ABS. "While this is similar to the national growth rate, it is well below the state's 15-year average annual rate of 2.1 per cent,"

"This slower growth is due to a nine year low in the state's net overseas migration and one of the lowest net interstate migration increases in over 30 years.

"Western Australia's growth has also slowed considerably to 2.1 per cent in the year to September 2014 - its lowest rate in over nine years and down from a high of 3.7 per cent two years ago.

"This is partly due to a drop in net interstate migration from 11,400 people two years ago to just 300," said Mr Browning.

Australia's total population increased by 354,600 people to reach 23.6 million by the end of September 2014, a growth rate of 1.5 per cent.

Over the year, natural increase contributed 150,700 people to Australia's population, made up of 303,000 births (3.0 per cent lower than the previous year) and 152,300 deaths (3.3 per cent higher than the previous year).

In the same period, overseas migration contributed 203,900 people to the population (12.8 per cent lower than the previous year), and accounted for 57 per cent of Australia's total population growth.

Further information is available in Australian Demographic Statistics, September Quarter 2014 (cat. no. 3101.0).

For population estimates at the regional level, please see Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2013-14 (cat. no. 3218.0) and Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia, 2013 (cat. no. 3235.0), available for free download from https://www.abs.gov.au

	Population at end Sep qtr 2014	Change over previous year	Change over previous year
PRELIMINARY DATA	'000	'000	%
New South Wales	7 544.5	106.4	1.4
Victoria	5 866.3	102.0	1.8
Queensland	4 740.9	69.4	1.5
South Australia	1 688.7	14.3	0.9
Western Australia	2 589.1	53.7	2.1
Tasmania	515.0	1.6	0.3
Northern Territory	246.3	2.8	1.1
Australian Capital Territory	387.1	4.4	1.2
Australia (a)	23 581.0	354.6	1.5

(a) Includes Other Territories comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.


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Media Note:

• When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
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