Australia’s population set to explode with overseas migration and a baby boom

AUSTRALIA’S biggest city of the future has been revealed with population growth being fed by a baby boom as well as an explosion in overseas migration.

AUSTRALIA’S biggest city of the future has been revealed with the population growth being fed by a baby boom as well as an explosion in overseas migration.

Sydney remained the country’s largest city last year with a record 5.1 million resident.

But it’s set to lose the title to Melbourne in about eight years if the Victorian capital continues its current growth spurt.

ABS data released today shows more than 36,200 babies were born in Melbourne last year — the biggest baby boom in the country.

An influx of almost 80,000 migrants from overseas, along with a flood of more than 9100 people from other states, also contributed to Melbourne seeing the fastest and largest population growth in the country.

The city had more than 4.85 million in 2017.

Overseas migration was the biggest factor contributing to population growth in all Australian capital cities last year except Perth and Darwin.

An aerial image taken from a commercial airliner shows houses located in the Victorian city of Melbourne. Picture: AAP

Sydney had the biggest influx of migrants from overseas at 84,684, followed by Melbourne, but it also had the largest exodus of people to other states at 18,120.

The NSW capital also had a baby boom of 34,994 children which contributed to the city growing by more than 100,000 people in a single year for the first time.

Brisbane and Perth were the next biggest cities with more than two million residents, followed by Adelaide at 1.3 million.

The Queensland capital saw the highest influx of people from other states last year, with more than 12,000 people flocking to the city.

Still recovering from the mining construction downturn, Perth had the second biggest exodus of people at 6885 people but a baby boom of 16,326.

SYDNEY

Sydney recorded its biggest population growth in a single year in 2017, coming mostly from an influx of 84,700 migrants from overseas.

Most of the newcomers went to the outer suburbs.

Cobbitty — Leppington, in the outer southwest, had the largest and fastest growth with an extra 4100 people moving in over the year.

That’s a 22 per cent rise.

Sydney Opera House. Picture: Bill Hearne

Riverstone — Marsden Park in Sydney’s northwest also grew by 3800 people, about a 21 per cent increase.

The inner-city area of Waterloo — Beaconsfield had the next biggest increase at 2600 people.

Sydney also lost more than 50,000 people to regional New South Wales and Melbourne over the year.

About 40,000 moved to regional parts of the state while 14,400 flocked to the Victorian capital.

MELBOURNE

Cranbourne East, in Melbourne’s southeast, had the largest population growth last year of any area in Australia.

About 7300 people flocked to the area with 85 per cent of this growth coming from people in other states and regional Victoria.

Overall, Melbourne’s population grew by 125,400 people last year to reach almost 4.9 million.

Overseas migration accounted for more than three-quarters of the city’s population growth.

Federation square. Picture: Martin Reddy

BRISBANE

Brisbane is back among Australia’s fastest-growing cities, with a population boom of 48,000 people last year.

The city hit 2.4 million people last year, a 2 per cent increase since June 2016 and it’s fastest growth since 2012-13.

It’s growth rate was equal to Sydney and second only to Melbourne nationwide.

The boom could be attributed to overseas migration and a baby boom almost equally, with migration only slightly higher at 17,998 entrants compared to a “natural increase” of 17,961 people.

The fastest and largest-growing area in Queensland was Pimpama on the Gold Coast, which grew by 3000 people.

Story Bridge and Brisbane CBD. Picture: AAP

ADELAIDE

Adelaide is growing at its slowest rate in 15 years, with only Darwin experiencing slower growth.

The city had a net loss of 5500 people in 2016-17, meaning more people left the city for other parts of Australia than arrived.

It essentially cancelled out the net increase from births.

PERTH

The West Australian capital was the fastest growing city in Australia five years ago.

No longer.

Perth had the second highest exodus of any state last year, with a net loss of more than 6000 people, as the economic downturn from the mining construction boom continues.

The city only gained about 21,000 people.

Of all the capital cities, only Darwin and Adelaide had slower population growth rates in 2016-17.

Elizabeth Quay, Perth. Picture: Tourism WA

HOBART

Hobart’s population has continued to grow at an increasingly faster pace over the past five years.

The Tasmanian capital, which saw a 1.1 per cent growth last year, is now growing at a faster rate than Darwin (0.5 per cent), Adelaide (0.7 per cent) and Perth (1 per cent).

The population growth remained small however at just 2422 people, with almost equal growth from overseas migration, people from other parts of Australia and more births.