Interstate migration to SA hits 30-year high, ABS figures show

More people are moving into SA than out of it again, new figures show, and it’s been decades since the numbers last looked like this.

The number of people moving to South Australia from interstate has reached its highest level in almost 30 years, latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal.

A net gain of 130 people was recorded for the December quarter.

It marked the third consecutive quarter of positive net interstate migration.

The ABS figures showed 2020 was the first time since 1992 that SA had recorded a full 12 months of positive migration (98 people).

Premier Steven Marshall said the data was evidence of SA’s strong economic and jobs recovery and that SA had earnt a “global reputation for its safe lifestyle, relative affordability and breadth of opportunity”.

Premier Steven Marshall said strong handling of the pandemic had made SA more attractive interstate. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

“Finally, the rest of the country is realising what we’ve always known – there’s no better place to live, work and raise a family than here in South Australia,” he said.

“While the former Labor government presided over a dreadful brain drain interstate, we are turning the tide and transforming the state through our safe and strong handling of the COVID pandemic.”

Mr Marshall said business confidence and building approvals were also high.

“But we know there’s always more work to be done and my number one priority in 2021 is to get as many South Australians into employment,” he said.

SA recorded the worst unemployment rate in the nation for the third month in a row in April.

ABS figures showed the state’s unemployment rate was 6.3 per cent. However, this was an improvement on the March figures which showed SA’s jobless rate was 6.8 per cent.

The Advertiser last month reported that forecasting by Deloitte Access Economics showed the exodus of young professionals from SA was likely to ramp up now that domestic border restrictions had lifted.

Data also released by the ABS on Tuesday showed SA’s overseas goods exports in the year to March 2021 totalled $12.1 billion, up 9.5 per cent compared with the previous 12 months.

This was despite the national figure falling by 5.1 per cent.