News about Australia

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Australia’s population reaches 27 million with growth largely driven by overseas migration

Australia is now home to more than 27 million people but policies over the last decade have failed to deliver the housing needed, an expert warns.

New data issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the national population grew by 2.3 per cent to 27.1 million in March this year.

It’s an increase of about 615,300 people over the previous year, with net overseas migration driving about 83 per cent of this growth.

The “natural increase”, which means births and deaths, accounted for 17 per cent of the growth.

All states and territories saw increases in population ranging from about 3.1 per cent in Western Australia to 0.4 per cent in Tasmania.

Australian National University demographer Liz Allen said hitting the 27 million population milestone was a moment to consider the challenges and opportunities facing the country in the future.

“Whenever we hit a population milestone, it gives us cause for pause to think about where we’re headed and what kind of country we want to be,” she said.

‘Population panic’ over migration is unnecessary, says demographer
Dr Allen said often when the country experiences a population increase, especially when it was driven largely by overseas migration, there was a tendency to panic.

“A type of population panic, we see this play out … we see particularly [some] politicians and commentators who perhaps are unhappy with the way the country is headed and blame the population for policy failures,” she said.

Dr Allen said it could affect social cohesion and potentially drive harmful rhetoric around migration when Australia’s population change was problematised.

“If Australia didn’t have immigration, we would not have the socio economic good standing that we have. Immigration keeps Australia economically and socially afloat,” she said.

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