Attention:
The ABS has identified errors in the population data for the period September 2020 to March 2022 in this version of the national, state and territory population. Data and commentary are currently being updated and will be released at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, September 26, 2022. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Press release
Australia’s population grew by 0.9% in the year to March 2022, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Beidar Cho, director of demography at ABS, said that with the easing of international border closures, net overseas migration added about 110,000 people to the population.
“After two years of generally little or no population growth, overseas migration is once again a significant contributor to Australia’s population growth, accounting for almost half of the growth in the year to March 2022. “
The strength of overseas net migration was driven by a strong increase in arrivals (up 183% year-on-year to 320,000) while overseas migrant departures remained stable (up 1.5% to 210,400).
By contrast, this result is a sharp turnaround in overseas migration in the year to March 2021 (-94,300), but still lags recent pre-pandemic annual levels which ranged from 238,000 to 260,000.
Overseas arrivals and departures data from Australia showing visa types of arrivals during the period indicated a strong return of international students to our shores.
There were 309,300 births and 179,100 deaths in the year to March 2022. The resulting natural increase of 130,200 was down 4.6% from the previous year, the increase in deaths (16,300 or 10%) exceeding the increase in births (10,000 or 3.4 percent).