Australia's annual population growth rate slowed to 1.5% in 2010, down from the 2008 high of 2.2%.
New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have revealed that AUstralia's population grew by 325,500 people in 2010 to reach a total of 22.4m. This fall continues the slide in population growth from the peak levels of 2008, and is the lowest growth since 2006.
Net overseas migration accounted for 53% of the 2010 growth, with the remaining 47% due to natural increase. The ABS added that net overseas migration continued to decline, with 2010 figures was 35% lower than that for December 2009.
Western Australia continued to record the fastest population growth rate at 2.1%, while Tasmania and the Northern Territory recorded the slowest growth rates (0.8%). The growth rates for each state were as follows:
- New South Wales: 1.2%
- Victoria: 1.6%
- Queensland: 1.7%
- South Australia: 1%
- Western Australia: 2.1%
- Tasmania: 0.8%
- Northern Territory: 0.8%
- Australian Capital Territory: 2%
