Population growth turns negative as migrants head home

Thursday 18 March 2021

It’s official. Australia has recorded its first quarterly decline in its resident population since World War 1 in 1916.

Yesterday’s population data for the September quarter of 2020 revealed that Australia’s population declined by 4,200 people on the back of a heavy 34,800 loss of net overseas migrants:

Net overseas migration has turned sharply negative.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.