National, state and territory population

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Statistics about the population and components of change (births, deaths, migration) for Australia and its states and territories

Reference period
March 2020
Released
24/09/2020

Key statistics

  • Australia’s population was 25,649,985 people at 31 March 2020.
  • The quarterly growth was 113,900 people (0.4%).
  • The annual growth was 357,000 people (1.4%).
  • 38.2% of annual growth was due to natural increase, and 61.8% was due to net overseas migration.

National

Annual population change

In the year ending 31 March 2020, Australia's population grew by 357,000 people (1.4%).

  1. Annual growth calculated at the end of each quarter.
  2. All data after 30 June 2016 is subject to revision.

Australia's population growth is comprised of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net overseas migration (migration arrivals minus migration departures).

Components of quarterly population change

In the March 2020 quarter, natural increase:

  • was 35,400 people
  • increased by 1,100 people since the previous quarter
     

In the March 2020 quarter, net overseas migration:

  • was 78,500 people
  • increased by 38,200 people since the previous quarter
     

Components of annual population change

In the year ending 31 March 2020, natural increase:

  • was 136,500 people
  • decreased by 7,200 people (5.0%) since the previous year
  • contributed 38.2% to Australia's annual population growth
     

In the year ending 31 March 2020, net overseas migration:

  • was 220,500 people
  • decreased by 30,200 people (12.0%) since the previous year
  • contributed 61.8% to Australia's annual population growth
     
  1. Annual components calculated at the end of each quarter.

Births and deaths

Overseas migration arrivals and departures

States and territories

Annual population change

  • All states and territories, except the Northern Territory, had positive population growth over the year ending 31 March 2020.
  • Victoria had the highest growth rate (1.8%).
  • The Northern Territory had the lowest growth rate (-0.2%).
     

Annual population change by state and territory

 Population at 31 Mar 2020 ('000)Change over previous year ('000)Change over previous year (%)
New South Wales8,157.787.81.1
Victoria6,689.4116.51.8
Queensland5,160.085.01.7
South Australia1,767.217.91.0
Western Australia2,656.239.61.5
Tasmania539.66.01.1
Northern Territory245.4-0.4-0.2
Australian Capital Territory429.84.61.1
Australia (a)25,650.0357.01.4

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

State and territory population change is comprised of natural increase, net overseas migration, and net interstate migration (interstate arrivals minus interstate departures).

Components of annual population change

For the year ending 31 March 2020:

  • natural increase was the major contributor to population change in the Australian Capital Territory
  • net interstate migration loss was the largest component of population change in the Northern Territory
  • net overseas migration was the major contributor to population change in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
     

Natural increase by state and territory

Net overseas migration by state and territory

Net interstate migration by state and territory

Notes

New name and website location for population estimates

On the new ABS website, official population estimates for states, territories and Australia are now found at:

Statistics > People > Population > National, state and territory population

Previous releases are named Australian Demographic Statistics (ABS. cat. no. 3101.0) 

COVID-19

Statistics in this release are partially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting Australian Government closure of the international border from 20 March 2020.

To ensure the ongoing production of fit-for-purpose official population estimates through the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABS has been assessing the likely impact of changed traveller behaviour on preliminary Net Overseas Migration (NOM) estimates, a component of ERP. The ABS has introduced more frequent revisions to NOM to ensure the suite of demographic statistics continue to be of high quality, and reflect the most timely data available. Preliminary NOM estimates will be revised every quarter over four quarters, instead of once after four quarters, until it becomes final. These more frequent revisions will ensure the most timely and accurate data flows through to ERP.

It should be noted that the model that underpins the preliminary NOM estimates utilises all available overseas movements data, including some data for April through July 2020. As a result, some impacts from changed traveller behaviour may be observed in this release. For further information see the Information Paper: Improvements to estimation of net overseas migration (cat. no. 3412.0.55.004).

Table changes in National state and territory population datacubes

Population for external territories has moved from table 3 to table 4.
Table 4  - major population regions has moved to table 15 and will be found under 'Regional Population' for the next  National, state and territory population release.

Forthcoming issues

Reference periodRelease date
June 202017 December 2020
September 202018 March 2021
December 202017 June 2021
March 202116 September 2021

 

Data downloads - time series spreadsheets

Population and components of change - national

Quarterly population and components of change, national, from June 1981 onwards

Components of population change - states and territories

Quarterly components of change, by state and territory, from June 1981 onwards

Population - states and territories

Quarterly population by sex, by state and territory, from June 1981 onwards

Interstate migration arrivals

Quarterly interstate migration arrivals, from June 1981 onwards

Interstate migration departures

Quarterly interstate migration departures, from June 1981 onwards

Population - New South Wales

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, NSW, from 1971 onwards

Population - Victoria

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Vic., from 1971 onwards

Population - Queensland

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Qld, from 1971 onwards

Population - South Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, SA, from 1971 onwards

Population - Western Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, WA, from 1971 onwards

Population - Tasmania

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Tas., from 1971 onwards

Population - Northern Territory

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, NT, from 1971 onwards

Population - Australian Capital Territory

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, ACT, from 1971 onwards

Population - Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Aust., from 1971 onwards

Data downloads - data cubes

National, state and territory population tables

Various tables of population, components of change and rates, by state and territory. Includes population by country of birth

Population by age and sex - national

Summary statistics of Australia's population by age and sex

Standard population

Standard population used in age-standardised rates

All data cubes

History of changes

24/09/2020 3:00 pm (Canberra time)

The ABS has renamed the time series spreadsheets back to their original names. No data has changed.

 

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 3101.0

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