The population growth rate of Queensland is double the national average, causing a housing problem.
The Sunshine State gained 94,300 residents in the year leading up to March, primarily as a result of interstate migration, as international immigration to Australia did not begin until December.
This was nearly as many as Australia’s two most populous states combined, with New South Wales registering 49,500 new arrivals and Victoria around 46,500.
The population growth rate in Queensland is double the national average, causing a housing shortage catastrophe. The Sunshine State (shown is Surfers Paradis on the Gold Coast) added 94,300 residents in the year leading up to March.
Wednesday’s release of new Australian Bureau of Statistics data revealed that Queensland’s annual population growth rate of 1.8% was double the national average of 0.9%.
Despite comprising 20% of Australia’s 25.9 million inhabitants, Queensland was responsible for 39% of the country’s population growth.
Australia’s growing population
New South Wales population increases by 0.6%, or 49,500, to 8,150,800.
Increasing by 0.7% or 46,500 individuals to 6,615,100
QUEENSLAND: Population up 1.8%, or 94,300, to 5,301,600
South Australia increased by 0.8%, or 13,800 persons, to 1,809,100.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA: An increase of 29,000 people, or 1.1%, to 2,760,400.
Increasing by 0.5% or 3,100 individuals to 567,400
NORTHERN TERRITORY: Gain of 0.3%, or 900 individuals, to 249,900
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY: An increase of 0.6%, or 2,700 individuals, to 453,400.
Australia’s population increased by 239,800, or 0.9%, to 25,912,600.
Australian Bureau of Statistics population growth report for the year ending March 31, 2022
The 94,300 persons who moved to Queensland or were born there accounted for a significant portion of Australia’s 239,800 net yearly immigration and births minus deaths population rise.
Population growth in Queensland was close to the 110,000 net annual overseas immigration level, which the ABS attributed to the reopening of the border on December 15 of last year.
Western Australia was the second-fastest growing state, with a population increase of 1.1%, or 29,000 individuals.
Queensland was the only other state with a population growth rate over the national average, with New South Wales and Victoria having growth rates of 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively.
South Australia’s population increased by 0.8%, or 13,800 people.
Tasmania gained 3,100 new residents, with a growth rate of 0.5%.
The Australian Capital Territory’s population increased by 2,700 for a growth rate of 0.6%, while the Northern Territory’s growth rate was the lowest at 0.3% as 900 individuals migrated there.
Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk convened a housing summit last week, as vacancy rates in her state are exceptionally low.
According to SQM Research statistics, the August vacancy rate in Brisbane was 0.7%, which was nearly half of the 1.3% rate in August 2021.
Sydney’s vacancy rate has similarly decreased by half, from 2.6% to 1.3%, while Melbourne’s vacancy rate has decreased from 3.5% to 1.4%.
Brisbane’s median house price increased by 30.4% to $782,967 last year, making it Australia’s strongest capital city market despite declines in July and August due to interest rate hikes, according to CoreLogic data.
Since January, the median price of a home has grown 5.9 percent to $864,149.
During this period, Sydney’s median house price in 2022 has decreased by 7.3% to $1.3 million, while Melbourne’s median value has decreased by 5.1% to $948,879.
The ABS calculated Australia’s yearly net immigration rate to be 109,600, based on 320,000 international arrivals and 210,400 international departures.
The natural growth, calculated by subtracting deaths from births, was 130,200.
In the year leading up to March, the reopening of the border to foreigners on December 15 for the first time since March 2020 contributed to an 183% increase in net immigration from abroad.
The number of international departures increased by 1.5%.
Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk (shown right with her deputy Steven Miles) organized a housing summit last week, as vacancy rates in her state are exceptionally low.