MEDIA RELEASE
December 3, 2009	Embargo: 11.30 am (AEDT)	91/2009

Australia recorded 301,000 births for the year ending 30 June 2009 according to preliminary figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Australia's total fertility rate reached a 30 year high with just under 2 babies per woman, the highest since 1977.

A population growth rate of 2.1% was recorded for the year ending 30 June 2009, up from 1.7% recorded last year. This is the highest growth rate in 40 years (2.1% in 1969).

As at 30 June 2009, Australia's population had grown to 21,875,000, an increase of 443,000 people over the previous year. Australia's net overseas migration contributed to more than half of this growth at 64% or 285,000 people. Natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) contributed 158,000 (36%).

Over the last 12 months, Western Australia continued to record the fastest population growth at 3.0%, followed by Queensland (2.6%), the Northern Territory (2.3%), Victoria (2.1%), New South Wales (1.7%), the Australian Capital Territory (1.6%), South Australia (1.2%) and Tasmania (1.0%).

As at 30 June 2009, the population of each State and Territory was:

New South Wales 7,100,000; Western Australia 2,237,000;
Victoria 5,428,000; Tasmania 502,600;
Queensland 4,407,000; Northern Territory 224,800;
South Australia 1,623,000; Australian Capital Territory 351,200.


More details are available in Australian Demographic Statistics, June Quarter 2009 (cat. no. 3101.0).

For population estimates at the regional level please see Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 3218.0) and Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia, 2008 (cat. no. 3235.0).

Media note:
Please ensure that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source when reporting on ABS data.