Australia grew by 392,700 people over twelve months.
The Other Dalo / Project 001 / Data + motion
A look at how Australia is growing and how the way we work has changed.
Not a verdict on people.A look at what changed.
Start with Australia
01 / Australia-wide
Start with the whole picture.
0
people usually resident in Australia
at 31 March 2026
Net overseas migration accounted for about 74% of Australia’s annual population growth: 292,100 of 392,700 people.
100,600 came from natural increase: births minus deaths.
292,100 came from net overseas migration, about 74% of annual growth.
The March quarter added 130,887 people, or 0.5%.
Annual growth
+1.4%+392,700 people
Natural increase
+100.6Kbirths minus deaths
Net overseas migration
+292.1Klargest component
March quarter
+0.5%+130,887 people
02 / State by state
Eight populations.
One changing work story.
Population numbers set the scene. They do not tell us who is working, who needs support or why.
01
NSWNew South Wales
0+1.1%
02
VICVictoria
0+1.6%
03
QLDQueensland
0+1.6%
04
WAWestern Australia
0+2.1%
05
SASouth Australia
0+1.0%
06
TASTasmania
0+0.6%
07
ACTAustralian Capital Territory
0+1.3%
08
NTNorthern Territory
0+1.5%
ABS / National, state and territory population / 31 Mar 2026
03 / Comparison
Work changed shape.
ABS trend figures show that full-time work made up a smaller share of jobs in September 2026 than it did in September 2006, while part-time work made up more. The way we work changed. That does not make one kind of worker better than another.
Full-time Part-time
−2.4ppfull-time+2.4pppart-time
Labour Force snapshot / September 2026 trend
Not having a job is not one story.
In September, 14,826,700 people were employed and 722,300 were unemployed. The participation rate was 66.9%. But those big numbers do not explain everything. Where someone lives, their health, caring responsibilities, study and the jobs available all matter.
95.4%employed share of the labour force
66.9%participation rate
4.6%unemployment rate
04 / Read before judging
The story and the numbers don’t always line up.
We hear a lot about “skills shortages”, as if it is one problem across the whole country. It is not that simple. A shortage can be real for one job or place and not another. Experience, pay, working conditions and where the jobs are all matter. The numbers need context, not a neat political slogan.
Jobs are open. People are still looking.
There were 325,000 job vacancies in August and 722,300 unemployed people in September. That does not mean every person fits every job. The location, experience, pay and skills needed can all get in the way. ABS / August and September 2026.
Not every industry is hiring.
Vacancies fell 1.3% over the year. In professional, scientific and technical services, they dropped 17.3% in the August quarter. In March, 21% of employers said costs were their biggest concern, and fewer businesses were recruiting. ABS / Aug 2026; JSA / Mar 2026.
More people does not mean more chances.
Population grew by 392,700 over the year to March. Employment grew by 210,800 over the year to September. They cover different periods, so this is not a direct comparison. It is still worth looking at beside 1,049,100 people holding more than one job and shortages reported in 29% of occupations. ABS / March to September 2026; JSA / 12 October 2026.
Primary sources
ABS: National, state and territory population, March 2026 (released 17 September 2026) ABS: Labour Force, Australia, September 2026 trend (released 15 October 2026) ABS: Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026 (released 1 October 2026) ABS: Multiple job-holders, June 2026 Jobs and Skills Australia: Jobs and Skills Report 2026 (published 12 October 2026)Figures checked again on 19 October 2026. The employer cost and hiring figures come from Jobs and Skills Australia’s Recruitment Insights Report, March 2026. These reports look at different groups of people and different points in time, so the figures sit beside each other rather than being treated as the same thing. Population figures after 30 June 2021 may still be revised. This is an independent project and is not connected to or endorsed by the ABS, Jobs and Skills Australia, Services Australia, or the ATO.