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3 in 4 migrants move to NSW and Vic
NSW and Victoria are by far the most popular states for migrants, helping explain why the Sydney and Melbourne property markets are performing so strongly.
NSW took 39.1 per cent of all migrants during the 2015-16 financial year, while Victoria took 35.7 per cent, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Queensland was a distant third with 11.0 per cent, followed by Western Australia with 7.5 per cent, South Australia with 5.0 per cent, the ACT with 0.9 per cent, Tasmania with 0.6 per cent and the Northern Territory with 0.2 per cent.
New arrivals need somewhere to live, so higher levels of overseas and interstate migration generally produce increased competition to buy and rent properties.
| Region | Net overseas migration | Net interstate migration | Net migration | Population boost from migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 71,161 | -11,349 | 59,812 | 0.8% |
| Vic | 65,007 | 16,699 | 81,706 | 1.4% |
| Qld | 20,019 | 11,581 | 31,600 | 0.7% |
| SA | 9,163 | -6,398 | 2,765 | 0.2% |
| WA | 13,640 | -7,703 | 5,937 | 0.2% |
| Tas | 1,143 | 42 | 1,185 | 0.2% |
| NT | 420 | -2,696 | -2,276 | 0.9% |
| ACT | 1,607 | -176 | 1,431 | 0.4% |
| Australia | 182,165 | N/A | 182,165 | 0.8% |
Although NSW received 71,161 foreign arrivals, the state simultaneously lost 11,349 residents, giving it a net migration figure of 59,812.
Victoria actually had the highest level of net migration (81,706), with 65,007 people moving there from overseas and 16,699 people relocating from interstate.
Queensland had the next highest level of net migration (31,600), followed by Western Australia (5,937).
In percentage terms, Victoria experienced the biggest boost to its population from migration, with overseas and interstate arrivals increasing its numbers by 1.4 per cent.
The Northern Territory received a 0.9 per cent boost from net migration, while NSW received a 0.8 per cent boost.
| Region | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 7,726,924 | 32.0% |
| Vic | 6,069,636 | 25.2% |
| Qld | 4,843,303 | 20.1% |
| SA | 1,708,135 | 7.1% |
| WA | 2,617,074 | 10.9% |
| Tas | 519,063 | 2.2% |
| NT | 245,191 | 1.0% |
| ACT | 396,294 | 1.6% |
| Australia | 24,128,876 | 100% |
Sydney and Melbourne real estate booming
Sydney’s median property price jumped 16.0 per cent during the year to April, according to statistics from CoreLogic.
Melbourne was the second-strongest market, with the median price increasing 15.3 per cent.
That was followed by Hobart on 13.6 per cent and Canberra on 8.4 per cent.
Adelaide grew 2.2 per cent and Brisbane grew 2.1 per cent – in line with Australia’s inflation rate, which is 2.1 per cent.
However, the other two capitals went backwards, with Perth falling 6.0 per cent and Darwin falling 2.3 per cent.
Disclaimer
This article is over two years old, last updated on May 29, 2017. While RateCity makes best efforts to update every important article regularly, the information in this piece may not be as relevant as it once was. Alternatively, please consider checking recent home loans articles.
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