The top 25 growth areas in Australia

The ABS released new population growth figures last week.

The table below is a summary of the population trends in the country’s largest 25 urban areas.

Major urban areas in Australia	2017 resident population	Annual growth last year	Average growth last decade	Difference: last year v decade avg
Sydney	4,741,874	98,079	76,630	28%
Melbourne	4,677,157	119,975	96,445	24%
Brisbane	2,326,656	46,366	43,206	7%
Perth	2,004,696	19,789	40,146	-51%
Adelaide	1,315,346	9,535	12,915	-26%
Gold Coast/Tweed Heads	663,321	16,338	13,524	21%
Newcastle/Maitland	481,183	4,529	4,940	-8%
Canberra/Queanbeyan	447,457	6,914	6,976	-1%
Central Coast	329,437	2,413	3,059	-21%
Sunshine Coast	325,399	7,995	6,716	19%
Wollongong	299,203	3,534	3,073	15%
Geelong	260,138	6,869	4,642	48%
Hobart	208,324	2,227	1,865	19%
Townsville	180,346	1,486	2,879	-48%
Cairns	151,925	1,884	2,663	-29%
Toowoomba	135,631	1,594	1,577	1%
Darwin	132,708	663	2,575	-74%
Ballarat	103,481	1,893	1,727	10%
Bendigo	97,096	1,509	1,493	1%
Albury/Wodonga	91,923	1,347	1,105	22%
Launceston	86,788	453	357	27%
Mackay	80,427	-353	737	-148%
Rockhampton	78,871	76	695	-89%
Bunbury	74,478	376	1,518	-75%
Coffs Harbour	70,857	723	762	-5%
Top 25 urban areas	19,364,722	356,214	332,225	7%
Australia	24,598,933	388,124	377,131	3%

A quick summary finds:

1. Overall Australia’s current annual population growth rate is 3% higher than the ten-year average. The resident population rose by 388,000 people last year.

2. Some 80% of people live in the country’s largest 25 urban centres.

3. These 25 centres accounted for 92% of the nation’s population growth last year, which is higher than the ten-year average (88%).

4. Some urban areas are growing much faster at present than the longer-term trend – these include Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast/Tweed, Geelong and the Sunshine Coast just to name a few.

5. Other urban areas aren’t doing as well such as Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville and Bunbury.

End note

High overseas migration is having an impact, so too is a lack of significant new employment generators across regional Queensland but the process of urbanisation is also influencing things.

About Michael Yardney

Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and his opinions are regularly featured in the media. Visit Metropole.com.au