Migrant influx puts population into overdrive
A RUSH of overseas migrants is pushing up Australia’s population faster than the rest of the developed world.
The number of people in the country will reach 25 million just after 11pm tonight.
We’ve hit the milestone 33 years ahead of official predictions by the Australian Bureau of Statistics a couple of decades ago. And on current trends, the number will pass 40 million before the middle of this century.
“It’s not that they got their calculations wrong, it’s that changes to migration policy and longevity increases and a solid birthrate have defied the trends that were evident then,” social demographer McCrindle said.
While Australia remains only the 53rd biggest country in the world – just behind North Korea and ahead of Ivory Coast – our growth is outpacing most of the planet.
The 1.6 per cent national rate is well ahead of the global 1.2 per cent, and more than Mark double that of OECD countries. Only the Middle East and Africa are rising more quickly.
Southeast Queensland’s popularity is helping to drive it, with the Gold and Sunshine Coasts growing at a 2.5 per cent and Brisbane at 2 per cent.
Mark Ryan and Tracey McArdle came to Australia from Limerick, Ireland, eight years ago and only planned to stay for a year. “Australia is home now,” Mr Ryan said. “It’s just incredible here, Australia has a lot of Irish people that originally came over to travel but ended up moving here.”
The couple has just welcomed their first child, Comhghan, at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in Brisbane.
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