Twenty years of urban growth and change

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.

What's happened to Australia's young adults?

It goes without saying that the impacts of COVID on population change have been profound. Not only has Australia recorded a net loss of overseas migrants but there have been changes in the age structure as a result. In 2019-20, the population of young adults in Australia declined. This blog looks at the scale of this trend and where the impact has been felt more strongly.

Queensland's shifting population

This is a follow up to last week's blog, which looked at population growth trends in Greater Brisbane.  When I was conducting my analysis, it struck me that Greater Brisbane had a slightly smaller population than the rest of Queensland.  A quick look at the numbers showed that the populations were converging.  In 2019, the population of Greater Brisbane was 2.51m, compared to 2.58m in rest of Queensland.  However, if current trends continue, Greater Brisbane will have a larger population than the rest of the state by the mid-2020s.

Where is the Batavia Coast?

It goes without saying that Australia's coastline is long and diverse.  Some parts have large cities, others are remote and wild.  Many parts of the coast have been given names that are designed to attract visitors to the various regions, generally based around colour, geological features and even animals.  Examples include the Sapphire Coast in southern NSW and the Limestone Coast in South Australia.  They generally don't have any formal status, rather they exist merely for tourism purposes.  This blog looks at the demographic characteristics of the Batavia Coast in Western Australia - named after a shipwreck.

South Australia enjoys modest population growth

South Australia is another state that gets overlooked in the current environment of strong population growth.  For many years South Australia has recorded modest population growth, without the extremes of localised growth recorded in parts of Melbourne and Sydney.  In 2017-18, South Australia recorded a population growth rate of 0.7%, below the national figure of 1.6%, to reach a population of 1.74 million.  Greater Adelaide's growth rate in 2017-18 was slightly higher at 0.8%.  What population trends are evident in South Australia?  Read on to find out.

Hobart and Launceston - compare the pair

Tasmania's urban hierarchy is distinctive in that there are two major cities, Hobart and Launceston.  This is unusual in the Australian context as many states have a state capital that is many times larger than the next largest urban centre (urban primacy).  Both cities were established in the early 1800s.  Over the last two hundred years, despite their different histories and economic fortunes, they have grown into the major cities they are today.  From a demographic perspective, how different are Hobart and Launceston?  To paraphrase a superannuation commercial, let's "compare the pair".

Australia's regional cities - which ones are growing?

High levels of population growth, particularly through overseas migration, have well and truly put the spotlight on population issues.  But population growth is uneven, and many of the problems are seen through the lens of people stuck in traffic jams in Sydney and Melbourne.  The new Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has flagged the potential for policies whereby new migrants are required to live in regional areas.  There have also been calls for greater incentives to encourage people and jobs to decentralise, especially to our regional cities.  This blog looks at recent growth trends in Australia's regional cities and considers the issue of whether or not they can alleviate growth pressures in our major cities by increasing their own population growth.