Telling it like it is - one place at a time
Some years ago I wrote a blog about bypassed towns and what happens to their population afterwards. This was inspired by a visit to Winslow, Arizona in 2016. I compared this town with the Hume Highway towns in Victoria. The topic of bypassed towns and how they decline afterwards is captured in popular culture (the movie "Cars" is a great example), but is it the reality?
Australia is said to be one of the most urbanised countries in the world. The 2021 Census showed that 90% of the population lived in urban areas with more than 1,000 people. This blog looks at the growth of urban areas in Australia over the period 2003-23. What are Australia's largest urban areas? Which ones have grown the most? Read on to found out.
Well not 27 million exactly, but by the time you read this blog, Australia's population will have easily surpassed this milestone. At Dec 2023, Australia's population was 26.97 million with an annual growth rate of 2.5%. This strong growth was driven by a high level of net overseas migration, comprising 84% of the total growth. Read on to find out more about current demographic trends in Australia.
Each year the ABS releases population estimates of the overseas born population in Australia. It provides more timely insights into the composition of this population in between Census years. Data from the Census is combined with more recent administrative data (Medicare, Dept of Home Affairs) to produce estimates for Australia, states and territories.
The latest release of regional population estimates from the ABS contains a wealth of data about population change across Australia. Which areas are growing the fastest, which areas are declining, and importantly, how these areas are changing. Tasmania provides an interesting case study to delve deeper into the data. It's not that long ago that Tasmania's growth rate was relatively strong, but is this still the case? And where is the growth occurring in Tasmania?
