• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

MAIN FEATURES

• The population estimates in this publication are the first to be prepared using the component method, which enables population change to be broken down into the components of natural increase, net internal and overseas migration. The following commentary relates to total population change, while the Feature Article, 'Understanding the 'Hows and Whys' of Regional Population Growth: What's driving change in our regions', which can be accessed via the left navigation panel of this publication, demonstrates the power and depth of the additional component data.

• Australia's estimated resident population (ERP) reached 24.6 million at 30 June 2017, increasing by 388,100 people or 1.6% since 30 June 2016.

• All states and territories experienced population growth between 2016 and 2017. Victoria had the largest growth in terms of absolute numbers (144,400 people), followed by New South Wales (121,800) and Queensland (79,600). The Northern Territory had the smallest growth (370).

• Victoria also grew fastest (that is, it had the strongest growth rate), increasing by 2.3%, followed by the Australian Capital Territory (1.7%), New South Wales and Queensland (both 1.6%). The Northern Territory had the slowest growth (0.1%), followed by South Australia and Tasmania (both 0.6%), and Western Australia (0.8%).

• The combined population of Greater Capital Cities increased by 315,700 people (1.9%) between 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2017, accounting for 81% of the country's total population growth.

• Melbourne had the largest growth of all Greater Capital Cities (125,400), followed by Sydney (101,600) and Brisbane (48,000). This was the first time on record that Sydney had a population increase above 100,000 people. Together, these three cities accounted for over 70% of Australia's population growth in 2016-17.

• Melbourne also had the fastest growth (2.7%), ahead of Brisbane and Sydney (both 2.0%).

  ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION, States and Territories - Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs)
  		ERP AT 30 JUNE	POPULATION CHANGE
  		2017p	2016pr-2017p
  GCCSA		no.	no.	%
  NSW
  	Greater Sydney	5 131 326	101 558	2.0
  	Rest of NSW	2 729 742	20 236	0.7
  	Total	7 861 068	121 794	1.6
  Vic.
  	Greater Melbourne	4 850 740	125 424	2.7
  	Rest of Vic.	1 472 866	18 933	1.3
  	Total	6 323 606	144 357	2.3
  Qld
  	Greater Brisbane	2 408 223	47 982	2.0
  	Rest of Qld	2 520 234	31 598	1.3
  	Total	4 928 457	79 580	1.6
  SA
  	Greater Adelaide	1 333 927	9 648	0.7
  	Rest of SA	389 621	846	0.2
  	Total	1 723 548	10 494	0.6
  WA
  	Greater Perth	2 043 138	21 094	1.0
  	Rest of WA	537 216	309	0.1
  	Total	2 580 354	21 403	0.8
  Tas.
  	Greater Hobart	226 884	2 422	1.1
  	Rest of Tas.	293 993	867	0.3
  	Total	520 877	3 289	0.6
  NT
  	Greater Darwin	146 612	696	0.5
  	Rest of NT	99 493	-331	-0.3
  	Total	246 105	365	0.1
  ACT		410 301	6 833	1.7
  Australia(a)
  	Greater Capital City	16 551 151	315 657	1.9
  	Rest of Australia	8 047 782	72 467	0.9
  	Total	24 598 933	388 124	1.6

• Five of the ten Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) with the largest population growth in Australia in 2016-17 were located in Greater Melbourne. The SA2 of Cranbourne East in Melbourne's outer south-east had the largest growth (up by 7,300 people), followed by the inner-city SA2 of Melbourne (4,600). Other SA2s to experience large growth included the outer Sydney suburbs of Cobbitty - Leppington (4,100) in the south-west and Riverstone - Marsden Park (3,800) in the north-west.

• The SA2 of Mickleham - Yuroke, in Melbourne's outer north, had the fastest growth in Australia (35%), followed by Coombs (34%) a recently developed suburb in the ACT, and Pimpama (31%) on Queensland's Gold Coast.
  

  SA2s WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH
  		ERP AT 30 JUNE	POPULATION CHANGE
  		2017p	2016pr-2017p
  NATIONAL RANK & SA2(a)	GCCSA	no.	no.	%
  LARGEST GROWTH
  1 Cranbourne East	Greater Melbourne	34 164	7 338	27.4
  2 Melbourne	Greater Melbourne	46 104	4 631	11.2
  3 Cobbitty - Leppington	Greater Sydney	22 559	4 054	21.9
  4 Riverstone - Marsden Park	Greater Sydney	21 668	3 775	21.1
  5 Tarneit	Greater Melbourne	39 802	3 270	9.0
  6 Truganina	Greater Melbourne	27 952	2 975	11.9
  7 Pimpama	Rest of Qld	12 586	2 966	30.8
  8 Waterloo - Beaconsfield	Greater Sydney	37 929	2 606	7.4
  9 Mernda	Greater Melbourne	19 708	2 440	14.1
  10 Ellenbrook	Greater Perth	39 520	2 269	6.1
  FASTEST GROWTH(b)
  1 Mickleham - Yuroke	Greater Melbourne	4 807	1 253	35.3
  2 Coombs	Australian Capital Territory	2 528	647	34.4
  3 Pimpama	Rest of Qld	12 586	2 966	30.8
  4 Rockbank - Mount Cottrell	Greater Melbourne	4 080	897	28.2
  5 Cranbourne East	Greater Melbourne	34 164	7 338	27.4
  6 Alkimos - Eglinton	Greater Perth	10 401	2 110	25.4
  7 Palmerston - South	Greater Darwin	3 996	804	25.2
  8 Cobbitty - Leppington	Greater Sydney	22 559	4 054	21.9
  9 Riverstone - Marsden Park	Greater Sydney	21 668	3 775	21.1
  10 Wollert	Greater Melbourne	11 657	2 006	20.8
  (a) National Rank based on population change between June 2016 and June 2017. See paragraphs 41 and 42 of the Explanatory Notes. (b) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2016.

• Whyalla, on the east coast of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, experienced the largest population decline in 2016-17 (declining by 450 people), followed by the Queensland mining area of Mount Isa (-440) and the mid-west seaport of Geraldton (-400) in Western Australia.

• Collinsville, in the Bowen Basin region of Queensland, recorded the fastest decline in population, falling by 5.1% in 2016-17. This was followed by the northern remote SA2 of Outback (-4.5%) in South Australia, Meekatharra in Western Australia's mid-west and Bouldercombe in central Queensland (both -3.7%).

POPULATION CHANGE BY SA2, Australia - 2016-17