Hi Rod,Even on the most simplistic of analysis, the Australian...

Hi Rod,

Even on the most simplistic of analysis, the Australian population will be 22.7m in 2015 (currently, 19.7m in June 2002, up 222,000 in 12m).

The Australian population is growing at somewhere between 1.1 - 1.4% per annum. In 2000/01, the population grew by 1.4%, whilst in 2001/02, the population grew (on preliminary estimates) at ~1.2%.

The net population increase in FY02 was 222,000. Natural increase accounted for 116,000, and net migration, for 106,000.

In FY01, the numbers were 230,000, comprising 120,000 natural increase, and 110,000 net migration.

In FY02:
1)
NSW increased by 54k (or 0.8%), to 6.67m;
2)
Victoria increased by 61k (or 1.3%), to 4.9m;
3)
fastest growing was Queensland, which was up 2% (or 74k), to 3.7m;
4)
WA increased by 23k (or 1.2%) to 1.9m;
5)
the other States /regions were largely stable to static (but all increased their relative population base);
6)
SA was up 7k to 1.52m;
7)
Tasmania, up 700 to 474k;
8)
the Northern Territory, up 100 to 200k; and
9)
the ACT, up 2000 to 324k.

Even without the benefit of a dedicated population growth strategy (balanced between natural increase and net migration), the Australian population will grow by ~3m over the next 12 years (ie: top 2015).

Unless, then, unless something else happens, Australia's population may well exceed 32m by 2051 (where previously, the population growth projections were suggesting a 22 -25m population result by 2051). This is based on a 1.1% net growth rate (ie: just below the global average).

If, however, Australia's population growth rate were to return to 1.3% per annum (based on a natural increase of 130 -140k per annum; increasing, and net migration of 120 -130k), then Australia's population will exceed 23.3m by 2015, and 36m by 2051.

The future trend, therefore, will be towards:
1)
continued population growth (albeit, at or just below the global average, but well above the European average);
2)
housing styles that will vary over one's life-cycle;
3)
in the next 5 -10 years, towards smaller housing units (ie: the rise in the single occupancy dwelling, etc); and
4)
increasing adoption of the European trend of renting, rather than owning.