Western Australia leads population growth

WESTERN Australia's population is growing at the fastest rate since 1989, thanks largely to more than 32,000 migrants settling in the state in 2007-08.

WA's population reached 2.15 million at March 2008, up 2.6 per cent on the previous corresponding period and the highest growth of any state in the nation.

Only WA, Queensland and Victoria recorded an average net gain of population due to interstate migration over the 10 years to June 2007.

Recent projections from the latest RP Data Property Pulse found that WA's population is expected to continue growing over the next 50 years.

Based on recently released figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, WA's population is expected to more than double by the year 2056 to more than 4.2 million.

This equates to an average annual growth of 1.5 per cent for the state, a figure equalled only by Queensland.

WA's portion of the national population is also projected to increase, from 10 per cent to 12 per cent of the total population.

In the year to March 2008, WA recorded 17,914 births, a net overseas migration of 32,278 people, and a net interstate migration of 3,989 people.

WA's median age increased to 36.4 years at June 2007.

The median age for males was 35.8 years and for females was 37.0 years.

At the statistical divisions' level, the Midlands had the highest median age (41.0 years).

The lower and upper Great Southern, South West and Central regions also had median ages above the state average.

Kimberley and the Pilbara had the lowest median ages of 30.2 years and 31.3 years respectively.

The median age of the Perth region was 36.2 years.