Aussies exit NSW, WA hits three million population milestone

More people are leaving one state behind more than any other part of Australia.

New population data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals 28,118 people left NSW in 2024.

Western Australia tipped over three million people for the first time in history, as the resource-rich* state recorded the highest nationwide growth rate.

At the end of 2024, 27.4 million people called Australia home, an increase of 445,900 on the previous year and representative of a 1.7 per cent increase.

Commonwealth Bank economist Lucinda Jerogin said population growth had slowed faster than expected after a post-pandemic* peak.

“A slowdown in natural increase continues to place a drag on Australia’s population growth,” she said

“Cost-of-living pressures, rising female workforce participation and broader uncertainty are likely driving this downward trend.

“Growth in deaths are outpacing births leading to the decline in natural increase.”

The data shows NSW lost more than 28,000 people to net interstate migration*, with 112,763 people leaving for elsewhere in the country.

Queensland picked up more than 106,000 people from other states, for a result of nearly 26,000 fresh faces. Nearly 40,000 Aussies moved to WA for a net increase of about 12,500 people.

While Queensland and Victoria’s total populations grew by 1.9 per cent, WA’s grew 2.4 per cent. The population of every state and territory grew by at least 1.1 per cent, except Tasmania, which recorded a 0.3 per cent increase.

“Within Australia, people are continuing to leave NSW, and to a lesser extent Victoria and the smallest jurisdictions*, and head into Queensland and WA,” Housing Industry Association economist Tom Devitt said.

“But even the jurisdictions losing residents interstate are absorbing enough overseas arrivals to see their populations expand.”

State governments needed to do more to encourage housing construction, he said.

WHY RESIDENTS ARE LEAVING NSW
Several factors could be driving more people to leave NSW than anywhere else in the nation.

According to the ABS data, NSW remained the most populous* state by more than 1.5 million people, with Victoria placing a distant second with 7,011,100 people to NSW’s 8,545,100.

Most Australian residents continue to live in our capital cities, which creates pressure on several levels, particularly where infrastructure* fails to keep up with population growth.

Using data from the PropTrack home Price Index, a June 2024 realestate.com.au report found Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide all set new record highs, with the NSW capital in the lead.

But the issue is not just housing prices, it’s also housing shortages. There is a shortage of stock to rent or buy, which drives up prices as demand outstrips supply.

Then there’s Numero’s 2025 Cost of Living Index by City, a global overview of the cost of living in one of the world’s biggest cities. The Index considers how much locals pay for food and other essential grocery items, eating out, utilities*, transport and more.

Sydney tops the list as Australia’s most expensive city. Sydney ranks 37th globally, just behind Paris and Amsterdam in the index of 327 cities.

The rush for the border suggests Sydneysiders are finally cracking under the strain of cost, crowds and discomfort. The iconic* allure* of the Harbour City is undeniable – but the exit data brings an old saying to mind: looks aren’t everything.

Australia’s next Census – the five-yearly ABS snapshot of our nation – will take place in 2026.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• resource-rich: having a large supply of something valuable, in WA’s case including natural resources such as iron ore, natural gas, gold and more
• post-pandemic: the period after Covid
• migration: movement from one place to another
• jurisdiction: a specific area, such as a state, territory or other region
• populous: place with a lot of people living it
• infrastructure: basic systems and services needed for a populated place to run smoothly, including buildings, transport, water and power
• utilities: service supply like electricity, gas and water
• iconic: very famous, popular and considered representative of a place or time
• allure: being attractive, interesting, exciting

EXTRA READING

What is the Census all about?

Census reveals changing shape of Australia

Census insight into Australia

QUICKQUIZ

1. Which state has seen the most departures nationwide?
2. What was WA’s population milestone?
3. Which capital city is Australia’s most populous and at what number of people?
4. What was Sydney’s ranking in the Numero 2025 Cost of Living Index by City?
5. By the end of 2024, Australia was home to how many people?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Population graphs
Choose a set of statistics from this article to construct a bar graph (people leaving states, population of states, most popular state etc.)

Your graph should have a title, label on each axis, a key and be presented so it can be easily read and interpreted.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: Mathematics, English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
With death numbers outperforming birth numbers, what does this mean for our country?

Do you think this trend will change over time?

Should Australia’s priorities be planning for the elderly population or for young families with children?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with the article between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.

Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.

Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.

Take two turns each.

Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?

Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?