The growth of the Australian Population with particular reference to the period since 1947

Abstract

This is designed as the first of two articles dealing with population growth in Australia. Over the last i o years or so the rate of growth has consistently exceeded 3% and in two years exceeded 3%. Over half this growth has come from immigrants and their Australian-born children and this forms the subject of this first article. A high proportion of these immigrants have been assisted to come to Australia and their economic absorption has been greatly facilitated by the lack of increase in the non-immigrant work-force as a result of the low fertility of the pre-war years. Even with immigration the nation's work force has not been increasing as rapidly as the total population. The converse of this situation will soon begin to apply because of the high birth rates prevailing since 1943, and this demographic factor is likely to raise new difficulties in the attainment of the currently accepted annual immigration “target” of 1% of the population.