24 July 2009

Population to hit 22 million thanks to those emigrating to Australia

Australia’s population will reach 22 million by the end of 2009 thanks to higher birth rates and migration, according to McCrindle Research.

Emigrating to Australia

Australia will reach 22 million but the end of this year thanks to an increase in population and numbers of people emigrating to Australia.

Social demographer Mark McCrindle says by the end of this year Australia will have grown by an extra million. Only two years ago Australia hit the record 21 million mark.

The nation’s population reached 11 million in 1963, so it has taken just 46 years to double, and looks to double yet again in another 40 years. This is due to and increased birth rate but also because of immigration to Australia.

“These population records have surprised even experienced demographers. In 1998 the Australian Bureau of Statistics forecast a national population in 2051 of 23.5 million, up to a maximum of 26.4 million,” McCrindle said.

“However, if these new growth rates remain constant then Australia will have more than doubled its population by mid-century with a population exceeding 44 million.”

Australia’s population reached a record 21.6 million at the end of 2008 and recorded the largest number of births at 296,610, and the highest number of people emigrating to Australia at 253,415.

It also experienced the lowest ever death rate, at 6.03 per 1,000.

“These record breaking numbers combine to give the perfect storm of population growth. The highest number of births ever, combined with the lowest death rate ever, set a new natural increase record. Additionally record immigration levels boost our population growth rate by almost two-thirds.

“While an annual population growth rate of 1.91 percent doesn’t sound huge, it equates to one new Canberra, two new Hobart’s or three new Darwin’s per year,” he says.

McCrindle is a research agency specialising in the fields of social trends, generational studies and demographic shifts.

 


The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with Australian visas and immigration


Digg del.icio.us FURL Reddit Yahoo!