Population trends
Australia's birth rate falls to an all-time low
A recent data release from the ABS shows Australia's birth rate reached it's lowest recorded level in 2023. Glenn Capuano looks at the stories behind the headline. How do birth rates vary across the states and territories? What does it...
Australia's death rate falls to an all time low
According to data just released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 183,131 deaths registered in Australia in 2023. The leading cause of death was heart disease – just ahead of dementia, which is...
Australia's population hits 27 million, migration slows slightly
Australia's population has passed 27 million, as of March 2024, while the rate of population growth due to overseas migration has slowed slightly in the latest quarter of data. Demographer Glenn Capuano breaks...
Australia's population growth hits another record but may be slowing
Population figures to December 2023 show another record growth, but include signs that Australia's recent unprecedented growth may be slowing. Glenn breaks down the latest trends for growth across the states...
Australia's migration boom: where are our new migrants coming from?
Australia is a nation of migrants, and migration has boomed since the end of COVID border restrictions. Where are our new migrants coming from? Glenn Capuano breaks down how our migration "source countries" are...
Inner city areas of Australia are booming – regional population growth 2022-23 update
A return to the cities? The latest population figures from the ABS allows us to see how the record growth we know happened in 2022–23 at State and National levels was spread around the country at the LGA level....
Migration drives Australia’s record 2022–23 population growth
The latest population growth figures from the ABS completes the financial year picture for 2022–23, showing record population growth. Strong overseas migration remains the key driver for the nation, with...
Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID
The latest Australian life expectancy dataset has recently been released for the 2020–2022 period. Demographer Glenn Capuano unpacks the impact of COVID-19, lays out how life expectancy varies across Australia,...
Australia’s birth rate falls in 2022
New data from the ABS shows Australia’s birth rate at a near-record low, continuing a decades-long trend. Demographer Glenn Capuano explains the history of Australia’s birth rate, how the story differs...
Australia’s population growth hits a new record high in the March quarter 2023
The latest figures on Australia’s population growth are out, and overseas migration remains the main driver. Glenn Capuano breaks down the latest population story for the nation, comparing the different drivers...
Australia’s population booms again with post-COVID migration surge
In 2022, Australia’s population grew by record numbers – our largest ever recorded increase a calendar year. This was driven largely by a surge in international migration. Glenn breaks down the story by state...
The top 50 largest cities and towns in Australia, 2022 edition
Demographer Glenn Capuano provides the latest update to the top 50 cities and towns in Australia.
Has Melbourne overtaken Sydney to become Australia’s largest city?
Has Melbourne’s population really overtaken Sydney’s? With the latest Regional Population dataset from the ABS just out, Glenn digs into the detail behind the headlines. Hint: it’s all about how you define a...
Australia's birth rate increases for the first time in 10 years
The birth rate for Australia has increased for the first time in nearly a decade. Glenn unpacks the history of Australia’s declining birth rate, how this new data affects that story, and the role COVID-19...
What is shaping population growth in regional Queensland?
Regional Queensland’s growth in family age groups is outpacing the rest of regional Australia and is predominantly driven by Queensland’s major regional cities.
Australia’s population growth bounces back in March 2022 quarter
The latest quarterly update for Australia’s population shows the impact of re-opening national borders, and includes some minor adjustments to previous revised figures. Demographic expert Glenn Capuano analyses...
Australia's net overseas migration increasing again
While most of us were glued to our screens and TVs in anticipation of the first release of the 2021 Census, another valuable statistical dataset was released by the ABS – “National, state and territory...
The 50 largest cities and towns in Australia | Pandemic edition
This is the annual update to the popular Top 50 cities in Australia blog. Updated population data is released every year by the ABS; see what’s changed, what’s stayed the same and how COVID-19 has affected the...
Melbourne and Sydney populations fall while regional areas grow
Glenn looks at the annual population update for Local Government Areas, continuing the story of population loss in our largest cities and population growth in regional areas. Read to the end to understand how...
Australia's population growth still slow, Queensland booming again
The latest quarterly population figures give new insights into how population patterns are changing across Australia’s states and territories. Glenn breaks the data down, analysing the impact COVID-19 lockdowns...
Australia’s low population growth increases slightly in the June 2021 quarter
The latest data shows Australia’s population growth increasing slightly in the June 2021 quarter. Glenn analyses the data in relation to COVID-19 and the different drivers of change across the states and...
