Perth records highest population growth rate of Australia's capital cities, followed by Melbourne and Brisbane
New figures have revealed the extent of the record population increase which has taken place across Australia's capital cities, with Perth having the highest growth rate followed by Melbourne.
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has broken down the record population growth which has occurred across Australia's capital cities.
The ABS on Tuesday released figures for the 12 month period to June 2023, which included the "largest annual growth" in the capital cities ever recorded by the bureau.
The eight capital cities collectively grew by three per cent - or 517,200 people - during the year to 17,991,300, more than double the 1.4 per cent regional growth rate.
ABS head of demography Beidar Cho said the population boom across the capital cities was "largely driven by net overseas migration".
Perth had the highest growth rate of 3.6 per cent, adding 81,300 people, followed by Melbourne with a 3.3 per cent growth rate, which equated to 167,500 extra residents.
Brisbane was next at 3.1 per cent, or 81,200 additional residents, then Sydney at 2.8 per cent, or 146,700 more people, and Canberra at 2.1 per cent, or 9,700 more residents.
Adelaide had a growth rate of two per cent, adding 28,100 people, followed by Darwin at 1.1 per cent or 1,600 residents, and Hobart at 0.5 per cent, or 1,200 extra people.
Within each of the capital cities, the largest population growth mainly occurred in outer-suburban areas where new housing developments have been taking shape.
In Melbourne the Rockbank - Mount Cottrell area added 4,300 residents and in Sydney the Marsden Park - Shanes Park area added 3,900 residents.
In Brisbane the Boronia Heights - Park Ridge area added 2,000 people, in Adelaide the Munno Para West - Angle Vale area added 1,800 residents, the same number of people which were added to the population of Alkimos - Eglinton in Perth.
Taylor in Canberra grew by 1,200 residents, Palmerston - South in Darwin added 550 people and Rokeby in Hobart grew by 320 residents.
The new figures come amid a protracted national debate over how to deal with the housing crisis amid record migration numbers.
Speaking to Sky News Australia on Sunday, shadow housing and homelessness minister Michael Sukkar said the construction of new homes was at its lowest level in more than 10 years and rents were up 26 per cent.
Mr Sukkar added the federal government had "absolutely opened the floodgates to migration with no idea of where those people would live".
The ABS last week revealed the nation's population increased by 2.5 per cent to 26.8 million people in the 12 months to September 30 last year.
The annual increase of 659,800 people included net overseas migration accounting for 548,800 new residents.
"Net overseas migration drove 83 per cent of the annual population growth, while natural increase accounted for the remaining 17 per cent," Ms Cho said.