An Australian state has lost thousands of residents in recent months, with people seemingly moving away to find warmer weather, new data suggests.
Residents of NSW are leaving their home states to live elsewhere en masse, according to new population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The country’s most populous state had the highest number of people leaving. NSW’s net interstate migration experienced a population loss of 37,914 in the year ending 30 September 2022.
Victoria also witnessed a major exodus of residents, with 15,569 fewer people living within state lines during the same period.
Queensland appeared to be picking up much of the remaining population from the other states, with 46,623 people migrating to the solar state.
There was also an influx of people from the east moving to Western Australia, with 11,658 people coming off the highway.
NSW residents are leaving en masse for warmer states. ABS statistics revealed NSW had a population loss of 37,914 in the year ending September 30, 2022 (pictured, Sydney)
Victoria also had a loss of population, with 15,569 fewer people living within state boundaries over the same period (pictured, Melbourne)
According to head of ABS Demography Beidar Cho, Australia’s population grew by 1.6 percent, similar to growth in the years before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our population as of September 30, 2022 was 26.1 million people, having recorded an increase of 418,500 people over the course of the year,” Ms Cho said.
“Migrant arrivals have returned to similar levels to pre-pandemic levels, but departures remain lower – mainly because there are fewer recently arrived temporary migrants, such as international students about to leave.”
The natural population increase was 114,800, with 302,900 births and 188,000 recorded deaths.
Australia’s death toll has risen 10.8 percent, mainly from Covid-19, according to the ABS.
The majority of those who have left New South Wales and Victoria have seemingly fled to Queensland, with 46,623 migrating to the Sunshine State (pictured, The Pacific Motorway on the Gold Coast)
Australia’s population grew by 1.6 percent, similar to growth in the years before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to ABS Demography head Beidar Cho (stock image)
There were 536,900 overseas migration arrivals and 233,200 departures, increasing Australia’s population by 303,700 people from overseas migration.
Melbourne may have experienced a significant mass exodus due to a pandemic, but figures released earlier this year showed it will become Australia’s largest city within a decade.
Melbourne’s population growth rate was hit harder than any other major city during the pandemic, falling from 1.8 percent in 2018-2010 to -1.6 percent in 2020-21.
However, the city’s population growth will see a turnaround, with Victoria expected to exceed 7.9 million people by mid-2032.
Forecasts indicate that six million people will live in Melbourne by 2031, rising to 6.1 million the following year.
That figure will surpass Sydney’s, but NSW remains the most populous state. The state will grow from 8.1 million people on June 30, 2021 to 9.1 million in 2032-33.