Recent population trends in the Australian Capital Region
Prepared by the ACT Demographer, Economic, Regional and Planning Policy,
Chief Minister and Cabinet Directorate April 2012
Email: ACTDemography@act.gov.au Phone: 02 6205 0202
Definition: ‘The Australian Capital Region’ (or ACR) is the region consisting of the ACT and nearby
local government areas including Bega Valley, Bombala, Boorowa, Cootamundra, Cooma-Monaro,
Eurobodalla, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Gundagai, Harden, Palerang , Queanbeyan, Snowy River,
Tumbarumba, Tumut, Upper Lachlan, Yass Valley and Young.
Data source: The following analysis is based on preliminary figures released by the Australian Bureau
of Statistics in March 2012 (Source: ABS, 2012 Regional Population Growth, Australia 2010-11, Cat.
No. 3218.0). These preliminary estimates will be updated with figures re-based to the 2011 Census
on 31st July 2012 and subsequently be finalised in July 2013.
Recent trends - region
1. At June 2011, the Australian Capital
Region (ACR) supported a population of
613,600 people.
2. The ACR represented 8.0 per cent of the
combined NSW and ACT population at
June 2011.
3. Population growth over the year to June
2011 was 8,656 people or 1.4 per cent.
4. Over the decade to 2011, the region grew
by 74,530 people (or an average of 7,453
people each year). Average annual growth
over the decade was 1.3 per cent. This is
similar to the comparable figure for the
ACT of 1.4 per cent.
5. Population growth was stronger in the
second half of the decade with growth
averaging 9,134 people each year or 1.6
per cent in the period 2007-2011. In
contrast, growth in the first half of the
decade averaged 5,770 people each year
or 1.0 per cent. Growth in the last year to
2011 has eased slightly from the five year
average.
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Recent population trends in the Australian Capital Region
Recent trends – component areas
1. The ACT’s population reached 365,600 people at June 2011. It accounted for nearly 60 per
cent (59.6 per cent) of the Australian Capital Region’s population at June 2011.
2. Recent population growth in the ACT has been larger than in earlier years. In the twelve
months to June 2011, the population grew by 6,770 people or 1.9 per cent. This contributed
to average growth for the five years to 2011 being 6,300 people each year or 1.8 per cent.
Growth in this period was more than twice as large as in the five years to 2006 (6,300 people
compared with 2,960 people respectively).
3. In contrast, growth in the ACR excluding ACT remained steady. Between 2001 and 2006,
population growth in the balance of ACR averaged 2,812 people each year increasing
marginally to 2,834 people each year between 2006 and 2011. The pattern of growth was
varied with some areas experiencing more growth and others slowing.
4. Population growth in Queanbeyan (C) in the five years to June 2011 was down only slightly
on the five year average to 2006 (719 people compared to 865 people respectively).
However in Eurobodalla, the local government area with the next largest population, growth
slowed substantially from an average of 528 people per year between 2001 and 2006, to
only 252 people per year between 2006 and 2011.
5. Most growth continued to occur in the urban areas of the region. For example, urban
Palerang (Palerang Pt A) accounted for the majority of growth in the local government area.
6. Over the year to June 2011, growth slowed in most areas outside the ACT. In the balance of
the ACR, population growth was 1,879 people compared with an increase of 3,054 people in
the previous year.
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Recent population trends in the Australian Capital Region
Recent trends – contribution of
component areas
1. The ACT comprises the largest share of the
ACR population (60% in 2011). This share
remained steady over the past decade.
2. The ACT also accounted for the majority of
growth (62.1 per cent) in the ACR over the
past decade. Whilst generally increasing,
ACT’s share of growth fluctuated from a low of 48.4 per cent in the year ending June 2004,
to a high of 78.3 per cent in 2011.
3. In contrast, Queanbeyan (C)’s contribution to
growth declined over the decade, ranging
from 19.6 per cent of the ACR’s growth in the
year ending June 2003, to only 3.8 per cent in
2011.
4. More than three-quarters of ACR’s total
growth over the past decade was in the the
three most populous areas; ACT (46,300
people or 62.1 per cent), Queanbeyan (7,900
people or 10.6 per cent) and Eurobodalla
(3,900 people or 5.2 per cent).
5. Outside ACT, in most cases the contribution
to growth reflects the size of the population.
In other words, areas with larger populations
grew more. Most areas with relatively small
populations, also accounted for small shares
of ACR growth. The two exceptions to this
were Yass Valley (which contributed 3.6 per
cent of ACR’s growth in 2010-11 while
having 3.2 per cent of the population) and
Palerang (5.3 per cent of the growth and 2.4
per cent of the population).
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Recent population trends in the Australian Capital Region
Table 1: Population estimates, Australian Capital Region1
ERP at 30 June
Area
Change (average annual)
2001
no.
2006
no.
2010r
no.
2011p
319,317
33,765
33,946
30,703
26,623
12,103
10,896
11,850
11,470
9,752
7,207
7,695
7,271
3,792
334,119
38,092
36,585
32,477
27,213
13,762
12,949
12,432
11,273
10,174
7,583
7,627
7,349
3,844
358,844
41,358
37,648
33,866
28,652
15,164
14,626
13,055
11,460
10,435
8,174
7,716
7,546
3,895
365,621
41,686
37,846
34,035
28,924
15,450
14,834
13,135
11,501
10,524
8,255
7,782
7,592
3,878
2,960
865
528
355
118
332
411
116
-39
84
75
-14
16
10
Tumbarumba (A)
3,735
3,692
3,758
3,766
Harden (A)
Bombala (A)
Boorowa (A)
3,860
2,631
2,455
3,739
2,625
2,396
3,663
2,612
2,474
539,071
567,931
604,946
ACT
Queanbeyan (C)
Eurobodalla (A)
Bega Valley (A)
Goulburn Mulwaree (A)
Yass Valley (A)
Palerang (A)
Young (A)
Tumut Shire (A)
Cooma-Monaro (A)
Snowy River (A)
Cootamundra (A)
Upper Lachlan Shire (A)
Gundagai (A)
Australian Capital Region
2001-2006
no.
%
2006-2011p
no.
%
2010r-2011p
no.
%
2001-2011p
no.
%
0.9
2.4
1.5
1.1
0.4
2.6
3.5
1.0
-0.3
0.9
1.0
-0.2
0.2
0.3
6,300
719
252
312
342
338
377
141
46
70
134
31
49
7
1.8
1.8
0.7
0.9
1.2
2.3
2.8
1.1
0.4
0.7
1.7
0.4
0.7
0.2
6,777
328
198
169
272
286
208
80
41
89
81
66
46
-17
1.9
0.8
0.5
0.5
0.9
1.9
1.4
0.6
0.4
0.9
1.0
0.9
0.6
-0.4
4,630
792
390
333
230
335
394
129
3
77
105
9
32
9
1.4
2.1
1.1
1.0
0.8
2.5
3.1
1.0
0.0
0.8
1.4
0.1
0.4
0.2
-9
-0.2
15
0.4
8
0.2
3
0.1
3,679
2,612
2,482
-24
-1
-12
-0.6
0.0
-0.5
-12
-3
17
-0.3
-0.1
0.7
16
0
8
0.4
0.0
0.3
-18
-2
3
-0.5
-0.1
0.1
613,602
5,772
1.0
9,134
1.6
8,656
1.4
7,453
1.3
Notes:
ERP - estimated resident population
p - preliminary
r - revised
(A) - area
(C) - city
1. "Australian Capital Region" represents ACT and the Local Government Areas in the South Eastern Statistical Division plus Cootamundra, Gundagai, Tumbarumba and Tumut
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cat No 3218.0, March 2012 (ASGC 2011)
Prepared by the ACT Demographer, Economic, Regional and Planning Policy, Chief Minister and Cabinet Directorate April 2012
Email: ACTDemography@act.gov.au Phone: 02 6205 0202
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