SA's Population Growth Hits A 14-year High

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Mini-boom in state's population
MARK KENNY, POLITICAL EDITOR

September 22, 2006 12:15am

SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S population growth has reached a 14-year high although the rate lags behind the national average.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday released population figures for the year, ending March 2006. That showed Australia's population now has passed the 20.5 million mark with an overall increase of 263,000 people.

South Australia's population now stands at 1.552 million - a net increase of 12,000.

The majority of that came from overseas migration. A total of 8800 migrants made the central state their home in the subject period.

Queensland continued to lead the field with a growth rate of 2 per cent, or 80,200 people. This was closely followed by the other mining giant, Western Australia with a growth rate of 1.9.

Releasing the latest data, the bureau said population growth in the states and territories was made up of three components: natural increase, net overseas migration and net interstate migration. In Queensland, the ACT and the Northern Territory, natural increase, which is when births exceed deaths, accounted for the biggest component of the growth.

The figures show significant increases in the rate of growth with Victoria, WA and SA all experiencing their biggest increases in around a decade and a half.

Treasurer Peter Costello, who, in 2004, famously asked families to have one child for Mum, one for Dad, and one for the country, said the figures were welcome news.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html