There are now more than 27 million people calling Australia home – a quick jump of 1 million people in less than two years thanks to post-pandemic overseas migration.
The national population grew by 2.3% to 27.1 million in the year ending 31 March, according to new data released by the Australia Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.
Since 2007, it has grown on average by a million about every two-and-three-quarter years.
The 27 million milestone took just one-and-three-quarter years, which Phil Browning, the ABS demography director, said was “far quicker than the average”.
It was also quicker than population growth for the previous milestone of 25 million to 26 million, which took just shy of four years, from September 2018 to June 2022. This plateau is attributable to Covid-era lockdowns.
When the border opened post-pandemic, net overseas migration increased in “fairly large numbers,” Browning said.
Overseas migration made up 83% of the past year’s population growth.
Net overseas migration – counting both people who have entered and left Australia – was 509,800 people. Students made up a “sizeable chunk” of that, Browning said.
“That’s down from a peak of 559,900 in September 2023 … but it’s still high,” he said.
Annual natural increase – counting both births and deaths – was 105,500 people.
“Natural increase is not moving a whole lot, and overseas migration is the significant driver,” Browning said.
The total fertility rate sits at about 1.6 births per woman, which Browning described as “historically, fairly low”. “We don’t know if that will continue or not, but it doesn’t show any signs of going up or down at the moment.”
Every state and territory had positive population growth. Western Australian had the largest, at 3.1%, and Tasmania the lowest, at 0.4%.
The next milestone of 28 million is projected for 2027.
The ABS has predicted Australia’s population could hit 30 million by the year 2033.
