Australia's estimated population growth ostensibly 'slowed' to +119,000 in the first quarter of 2019, apparently bringing the annual pace down to +389,000.
However, upon closer inspection this was partly due to further processing delays for births in Victoria, which accordingly reduced estimates of the natural population increase.
For all the noises about slowing permanent migration to Australia, including 'temporary' migrants net overseas migration actually accelerated again to +250,000 over the year to March 2019.
Some clever sleight of hand there, though I doubt the congested capital city electorate is too much fooled!
Net overseas migration shifted a little more towards Queensland and Western Australia over the year to March, despite being still heavily dominated by immigration to Greater Sydney and Greater Melbourne.
Tasmania attracted +1,000 newly immigrated Aussies in the first quarter, too, which is an unusually high number for the Apple Isle, and indeed the highest figure on record!
Interstate migration away from New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia has slowed, but Queensland continues to attract +13,000 a year away from the southern climes in particular.
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This makes south-east Queensland relatively speaking a population growth powerhouse, with the state growing at about +89,000 per annum.
Overall, New South Wales (+114,000) and Victoria (+133,000) attracted the strongest annual population growth, while several other states are steadily increasing, including Tasmania, Western Australia, and the very liveable South Australia.
The Northern Territory population is in a troubling decline, and since for some reason my chart doesn't have a negative y-axis, you can't see that the Top End recorded -1,100 for the year to March. 2019. Ouch!
Overall, the lag in processing births will see the rush to an Aussie population of 25½ million pushed back by a few weeks, at least according to the official estimates.
But the big picture is unchanged, which is to say accelerating net immigration and population growth running at around +400,000 per annum.
Big numbers, indeed, and with dwelling starts in an ongoing decline, more than enough to clear the new apartment glut in time.
