Adelaide has been a notable absence from the predicted population boom forecast by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) latest findings, which show Australia is on track to double its current population by 2075.
The data shows that net overseas migration to be the major cause of increase, calculating that up to 10 million migrants will flood into Australia over the next 50 years.
However according to the statistics, Adelaide is one of only a handful of centres that is expected to experience minimal or reversing population growth, making South Australia’s population target unlikely despite the predicted interstate booms.
Western Australia is the most rapidly expanding city according to the statistics, a direct result of the state’s flourishing migration program. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – the other three migrant magnet cities – are also projected to continue growing, with Melbourne predicted to draw even with Sydney as Australia’s largest city by 2053.
Realisation of these figures would be a severe blow for the state’s economy, which is already suffering from a number of key industries suffering from an aging demographic and skills shortages across a number of sectors.
The state’s meagre portion of Australia’s skilled migration programme is not helping the cause, with SA recording only a 3% share of the country’s 457 program and 6% of permanent skilled migration outcomes, despite making 7.5% of the national population.
However with the state election rapidly approaching, Migration Solutions is hopeful new measures to increase immigration levels will shape up to be a key platform of the political race.
