Minister Barr: ACT’s population to reach over 421,000 by 2020
- Written by ACT Government
Released 13/03/2017
With our city tipped to grow between 5,000 - 6,000 people over the next four years, the newly elected ACT Government is already planning the infrastructure we need to cater for this growth – from health and education right through to public transport.
ACT Population Projections: 2016 – 2020, the government’s official population projections, show the total population of Canberra will increase by 6 per cent to reach around 421,839 by 30 June 2020.
Our commitment to the people of Canberra during the ACT Election was that we would make the necessary investments to ensure we didn’t become gridlocked like Sydney and Melbourne.
This includes investment in our health and education systems – with new schools in our fastest growing regions in Gungahlin and Molonglo. Work is already underway on upgrades to Canberra hospital, new walk-in centres and the new public hospital at the University of Canberra.
The construction of the city wide light rail network is another key piece of infrastructure that will support the growth of Canberra’s population.
We can expect to see changes in the structure of our population over the next few years, with the 20-34 year age group representing the largest proportion of our population in 2020, and people aged 65 years and over increasing from 12 per cent of the total population, to 13 per cent over the next five years.
Our growth in population will also be driven by strong net overseas migration - an increase of 1,607 persons in 2016 and rising to 2,650 persons in 2020. More people are choosing to settle in our city due the many opportunities available in Canberra, backed by our strong economy. Recent figures also show high level of business confidence in the region which means more investment and more jobs.
Canberra’s newest suburbs will be among the fastest growing in the region, illustrating the importance of both new land release and suburban renewal for the future of Canberra. The top five growing suburbs from 2016-2020 are:
- Lawson
- Crace
- Casey
- Franklin
- Bonner
Further information on the latest population projections is available on the ACT Treasury website.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
