The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics population figures confirm what we already know – that Victoria really is the place to be.
The figures, contained in the ABS national state and territory population figures for June 2024, show that Victoria’s population grew by 2.4 per cent in the 12 months to June, faster than the national average of 2.1 per cent growth for the same period.
This result puts our state second on the population growth league table, behind only Western Australia, which grew by 2.8 per cent amid a mining boom.
By contrast, New South Wales and the ACT tied at the bottom of the list of mainland jurisdictions, with a growth rate on 1.7 percent. They were trailed only by Tasmania, with just 0.3 per cent.
These latest stats follow news in April last year that Melbourne’s population has overtaken Sydney’s, making the city by the Yarra Australia’s most populous city for the first time since 1905.
Digging a little deeper on the new ABS figures makes for very interesting reading.
Victoria had the fastest natural population increase – the number of births compared with deaths of any jurisdiction, with 35,588 overall. NSW was just behind with 35,550, with Victoria and NSW streets ahead of the other states.
Victoria was well behind NSW on net overseas migration – the number of new arrivals to Australia compared to those who left our shores, with 132,859 people settling in Victoria overall and 142,473 in NSW.
Interstate migration rates go against the ever-popular narrative that Victoria’s population is shrinking since 2020, with people “fleeing” the state.
While 81,732 people moved to NSW in the year to June, compared to 74,731 new arrivals in Victoria from interstate, over the same period 112,597 people left NSW – an overall reduction of 30,865. In all, 74,067 people left Victoria for another jurisdiction – net growth of 664 people.
Queensland was the big winner, with more than 29,000 Australians moving to Queensland and a further 9000 moving to Western Australia.
All other states and territories lost more residents to other jurisdictions than they gained.
These population statistics are proof of the reason that we created Melbourning – because rumours of Melbourne’s death are greatly exaggerated.
Victoria is a stunning place to live, work and play. Our population growth shows that there is still plenty to love about our great state, and that many people from outside Victoria can see it too.
