Compared to developing nations with far stronger population growth rates, Australia is expanding pretty quickly for a developed country.
Last month, Australia’s population officially ticked past the 25 million mark, according to the latest data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – 33 years earlier than projected!
Over the last three years, the nation’s population grew by around 400,000 people per year. If this trend continues, the number might reach 26 million in the next two to four years. This is no mean feat considering that the population Down Under was only at the 10 million mark back in 1960.
Nett migration has continued to outpace births, with the highest migrant numbers coming from China and India.
Newly elected Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population, Alan Tudge, in outlining plans for the country’s immigration policy, is not in favour of reducing skilled migrant numbers.
“My view has always been that Australia can be a bigger country. But, ideally, you have a broader distribution rather than very rapid growth in some areas,”he said.
Melbourne and Sydney are expected to grow to the size of New York city by 2050 as migration numbers continue to grow.
To date, Melbourne has the fastest-growing population rate in the country. Naturally, this has something to do with Melbourne’s ranking as the World’s Most Liveable City for seven consecutive years, receiving a perfect score from The Economist for healthcare, education and infrastructure.
“There’s a buzz about the city that keeps bringing the world’s best to enjoy Melbourne,” said the Australian government in a statement.
Victoria has an estimated population of 5.71 million, ranking second in the country with a population density of 25 people per sq km. The state accounts for 25% of the entire Australian population.
And, for the first time ever, Victoria finally overtook New South Wales as Australia’s strongest economy in CommSec’s latest State of the States report.
Victoria’s high population growth has also supported house prices and rental values in Australia, and is a reason why the Melbourne market has remained strong.
In quarterly data by JLL Australia, apartment price growth for Greater Melbourne (for both new and existing stock) increased 6.6% y-o-y to 1Q2018, which is above the five-year annual average rate of 4.5%. Rental vacancy remains tight in the city.
The recent 2018 Global Real Estate Transparency Index by JLL ranks Australia’s property market as the most transparent in the Asia-Pacific region. This, and the all the things that make Australia such an attraction — good governance, strong healthcare and education systems, etc — are a great draw for property investors and millionaires.
What do you think of Australia’s population growth for the Australian economy and property market as a whole? Leave your comments in the box below! For more details on investing in Australian property, call us at 65-3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!
By Noorasikin Ali Additions & Edits by Vivienne Pal
Sources:
- https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/apartment-prices-and-rental-demand-remain-strong-melbourne
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-07/australia-population-hits-25-million/10077100
- https://www.businessinsider.com.au/australian-population-growth-country-comparison-2017-2018-6
- https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/millionaire-migrants-pouring-into-australia-20180706-p4zpzm.html
- https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/the-great-population-race-is-australia-winning/news-story/b8d69b5ece62fa57a4d2c328b9639c04
- https://www.domain.com.au/news/a-new-australian-dream-why-melbourne-and-sydney-need-to-be-more-like-new-york-20180813-h13vsg-757904/
- Feature Image: https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/02/australias-population-is-now-above-24-million/
- Secondary image from: https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/the-great-population-race-is-australia-winning/news-story/b8d69b5ece62fa57a4d2c328b9639c04
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