Population growth in most capital cities slowed last year, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The new figures show that the population of Australia’s capital cities grew by.8 per cent or almost 325,000 people in the 2024–25 financial year.
This was almost 100,000 people less than in 2023–24, when those cities grew by 2.3 per cent.
Perth had the highest growth rate of all capitals (2.4 per cent), followed by Brisbane (2.1 per cent) and Melbourne (2.0 per cent). Sydney also posted a growth (up 1.4 per cent), as did Adelaide and Canberra (both up 1.3 per cent). Darwin was the only capital that grew faster (1.7 per cent) than the previous year (1.5 per cent).
ABS head of demography Phil Browning remarked that net overseas migration remained the main driver of capital city growth despite falling by 109,400 people compared with the previous year.
“The largest growth areas were mostly in outer-suburban parts of the capital cities, where population growth was driven by people moving in from other parts of Australia”, Browning added.
Outside the capitals, Caloundra West-Baringa (up 2,000) grew the most in Queensland, Barwon Heads-Armstrong Creek (up 1,400) grew the most in Victoria and Branxton-Greta-Pokolbin (up 1,000) grew most in New South Wales.