A return to the cities? The latest population figures from the ABS allows us to see how the record growth we know happened in 2022–23 at State and National levels was spread around the country at the LGA level. Lead demographer, Glenn Capuano, unpacks the data and shares how the interplay of international and internal migration affects the growth of different areas around the country. The 2022-23 population update figures (Estimated Resident Population) have just been released by the ABS. This happens around the end of March every year, but is particularly eagerly awaited this year, as we alr ..read more

As forecasters, we simplify millions of data points into a single forecast number that tells you when, where and how much a place is expected to grow.  But that simplicity can disguise the deep and considered research behind every forecast. A forecast is more than a number – it’s about giving confidence – to your investors, to your community, to your board or to yourself – that you’re making decisions that are based on a reliable and trusted source of information. That you have an independent and expert assessment, built on a foundation of comprehensive research and the knowledge of ..read more

New South Wales is Australia’s most populated state, with just under a third of the national population residing in NSW. The disruptions of the COVID pandemic had a significant impact on the state, with a net loss of people through overseas and internal migration. With the borders reopening, NSW saw a spike in overseas arrivals.  But our most recent forecast shows a stabilisation in overseas migration and a return to previous patterns in population growth and movement for the state.  Our national forecast predicts an additional 9.2 million people in Australia heading towards 2046. O ..read more

Understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change is fast becoming a central feature in policy across all levels of government. While stand-alone adaptation strategies exist, the nature of climate change – and its expression across Australia’s local areas – determines that its impact must also form a key consideration in other core government policies; be it ‘migration’ at the federal level, where to direct ‘transport and social infrastructure investment’ at the state level or ‘strategic land use planning’ at the local level. The recently published Intergener ..read more

While .id is primarily known for working with local government authorities or private businesses and organisations who use our forecast data to plan for the future, we also work with community organisations responsible for ensuring the wellbeing of local residents and those in need by investing locally based on informed decisions. One such organisation we’ve had the pleasure of working with has been the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF). This blog describes and summarises our relationship, what we produced for NRCF and how they used the information provided by .id to empower th ..read more

Housing affordability is a common topic of conversation across Australia. Taking the case study of Regional Victoria, Nenad takes a look at how rising housing costs impacts an area’s ability to attract and house key workers for that region. Key worker housing affordability: A national problem Australia’s key workers, that is, workers in services that are essential to a community’s functioning and wellbeing, spend large proportions of their household income on housing costs. The “Priced Out” report, published by Everybody’s Home in April 2023 found key workers on avera ..read more

The latest population growth figures from the ABS completes the financial year picture for 2022–23, showing record population growth. Strong overseas migration remains the key driver for the nation, with different stories emerging across the states and territories. Demographer Glenn Capuano digs in to the details. As always, just before Christmas, the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases new population growth figures for Australia, States and Territories. These are quarterly figures, but the December release for the period ending June 30th each year is the most important as it aligns with ..read more

As one of our most experienced population forecasters, Richard Thornton’s daily work exposes him to the many factors that influence when, where and how much growth occurs in different parts of Australia. In this piece, he highlights three factors that Australian planners need to reconcile – population growth, constraints to land use and development, and climate change, highlighting some of the structural challenges that make our cities less adaptable in the face of these realities. Cop 28 has recently occurred, and given the increased pessimism surrounding meeting current targets and capping ..read more

Each year, our economics team travels across Australia to deliver State of the Regions updates. These presentations, focused on the LGA or region level, provide valuable insights into the economic changes impacting your community. While some sessions are held online, we strive to meet with you in person. To gauge interest for the upcoming year, we’re reaching out early. These sessions have served diverse audiences, including local businesses, council members, and staff. If you’d like to participate, please email economy@id.com.au and we’ll propose potential dates for your sessi ..read more

In October, we held a series of launch events to celebrate the fact forecast.id, our detailed, local area forecast of population, housing and development, are now available nationwide. In today’s blog, we share the main points from the keynote presentations at those events. Now that we have a consistent, national forecast for the tens of thousands of unique local areas that make up our nation, what do these forecasts reveal? The big story: following a brief regional renaissance during the pandemic, is the return of population to our cities and urban centres. However, this surge places ci ..read more