Big squeeze: More than 10 million people to live in NSW by 2036
The population of NSW is growing faster than expected, with more than 10 million to call the state home in less than two decades, a least one million more than projected in 2008.
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Get ready for the big squeeze. The number of people to call NSW home by 2036 is set to surpass 10 million.
New population projections to be released by the state government today show the number of residents to live in NSW is at least one million more than projected back in 2008.
Increasing life expectancies have been attributed to the trend, which will see Millennials set to take over Baby Boomers as the largest generation by the middle of next century.
A decade ago, the state government projected 9.1 million residents in NSW by 2036 – a figure that has now been revised to 10.1 million.
By 2041, the state government projects the population to grow to 10.6 million – up from eight million today.
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However, Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said there was no cause for panic with the State government’s infrastructure program able to accommodate the growing population.
“These new projections show the diverse regions of NSW remain among the most desirable places to live in Australia,” he said.
“We have the biggest infrastructure program in the nation to ensure we have the homes, hospitals, schools, roads and other infrastructure and services that our future generations will need.
“These projections are data, not destiny, but will help shape future decisions on areas needing more investment or support for a different population to what they have today.”
The life expectancy of the State’s female population is expected to rise from 85.8 years in 2016 to 88.9 years in 2041, while males will increase from 81.8 to 86 years over the same period.
As a consequence, the number of people 65 and over expected to grow by more than one million to over 2.2 million in the next 22 years.
However, Sydney will not take the entire brunt of the population boom with two people relocating to the regions for every person that moved to Sydney.
Most of those quitting city life were younger families and retirees looking for a tree-change.
Originally published as Big squeeze: More than 10 million people to live in NSW by 2036
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