Western Australia’s population is expected to top 3.5 million people by 2036, according to a new report published by the Western Australian Planning Commission.
The Western Australia Tomorrow Population Report No. 12 is the latest in a series of population growth reports produced by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and used across State Government agencies to plan for future services and infrastructure, where population change and the age and/or gender distribution needs to be considered.
The findings include:
- The State’s population will reach 3.57 million people by 2036.
- This represents an annual average growth rate of 1.8 per cent or an extra 55,400 people per year.
- The population will continue to age, and the number of retirees as a proportion of the working age population will continue to increase.
- The proportion of the population aged 65 and over is forecast to increase from 16 per cent in 2022 to 19.5 per cent by 2036.
- The proportion of children aged 0 to 14 years is forecast to decline from 19.1 per cent to 16.4 per cent by 2036.
- Birth rates are expected to remain constant at 1.63 births per woman from 2024.
- Net overseas migration (NOM), the largest and most volatile component of population growth, is expected to return to long-term trends from 2024-25 as migration flows normalise.
- New interstate migration is expected to remain high in 2023-24 before settling back in 2026-27.
- Natural increase in population (births minus deaths) is forecast to be much more stable.
The second stage of the WA Tomorrow 12 forecasts is anticipated to be released later in the year with forecasts broken down into local government areas.
