Australians are fleeing Sydney in droves as immigration reaches record highs – and the only state with zero growth
Australians are fleeing Sydney in droves as overseas immigration hits a new record.
A record number of 548,800 migrants moved to Australia in the year to September, with the population growth rate of 2.5 percent the highest since the early 1950s – even as the birth rate plummeted.
Sydney, already one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the world, is so expensive that many residents are moving abroad in search of cheaper housing as foreign migrants pour in.
In one year, 33,202 New South Wales residents moved to another state, while 186,433 overseas migrants took up residence.
But when the interstate exodus was taken into account, NSW still needed to accommodate 153,231 new residents before accounting for 32,893 new births.
The large outflow saw NSW experience below-average population growth of 2.3 per cent, lagging behind Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria.
Meanwhile, Tasmania was the only state to record a zero natural rate of increase, based on births minus deaths.
The island nation saw 3,079 residents move interstate while 4,400 overseas migrants moved in – a very small net increase of just 1,321 new residents or a minuscule population increase of 0.3 percent.
Australians are fleeing Sydney in droves as overseas immigration reaches a record high
Sydney’s median house price of $1.396 million is significantly higher than Brisbane’s $899,474 level, based on data from CoreLogic.
Queensland had the largest migration inflow among states at 32,625 as 87,954 overseas migrants moved in – a net increase of 120,579 new residents before taking into account 23,010 net births.
Queensland’s population growth rate of 2.7 percent was slightly above the national average of 2.5 percent.
Victoria had 161,758 new overseas migrants, but only 1,119 left for the interstate, while Melbourne still has suburbs with an average house price of less than $600,000.
While Melbourne is cold in winter, Victoria is still expanding with a population growth rate of 2.7 percent – the third highest in Australia.
Mining-rich Western Australia had the second highest interstate migration inflow at 11,233, while 67,629 migrants entered.
WA had Australia’s highest population growth rate: 3.3 percent.
South Australia had 1,007 residents move interstate, while 28,587 overseas migrants moved in – for a population growth of 1.7 per cent.
On a per capita basis, the Northern Territory had the largest interstate exodus, at 3,606, while only 3,189 overseas migrants entered, making it the only state or territory where interstate outflows exceeded overseas inflows.
The NT population grew by only 0.7 percent.
The Australian Capital Territory, which covers Canberra, had 1,845 residents moving interstate, while 8,792 overseas migrants moved there – giving it a below-average population growth rate of 2.1 percent.
Australia is now home to 26.8 million people.
Immigration was responsible for 83.2 per cent of Australia’s population growth in the year to September, with 548,800 new migrants and 111,100 new births – a natural increase of 3.9 per cent on the previous year.
Sydney, already one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the world, is so desirable that many residents are moving interstate in search of cheaper housing, while foreign migrants pour in (pictured is Wynyard train station)
Shortly before the Australian Bureau of Statistics data was released, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson called for a vote on immigration policy.
“Australians have never been allowed to vote on immigration and multiculturalism,” she told the Senate.
‘When have we been asked or consulted about our population?
‘Governments have consistently introduced high levels of immigration, they say, to stimulate the economy – this is nonsense.’
While the Australian economy continues to grow, there has been a per capita recession since the June 2023 quarter, with output per worker in decline.
Meanwhile, Tasmania was the only state to record a zero natural rate of increase, based on births minus deaths (photo is Hobart’s Constitution Dock)
Shortly before the Australian Bureau of Statistics data was released, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson called for a vote on immigration policy