WESTERN Australia is the fastest growing state in the country, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.
The ABS's June quarter Australian Demographic Statistics report shows Australia's growth rate in 2005-06 was 1.3 per cent or 265,700 people, the highest annual growth rate in five years.
This took Australia's population to 20.6 million people, as of June 30.
WA's population increased by two per cent with 39,900 new people living in the state, just ahead of Queensland which rose by 1.9 per cent or 76,400 people, the highest numerical increase.
Population growth is made up of three factors: natural increase, calculated as the excess of births over deaths, net overseas migration and net interstate migration.
Queensland was the state of choice for Australians with a net interstate migration increase of 25,800 people during 2005-06.
Net overseas migration for the period was 134,600 people, an increase of 8.7 per cent over the previous year's figure.
Most went to New South Wales, which received 42,200 migrants, followed by Victoria with 38,600.
At 131,200 people, natural increase was also higher than last year, with a 5.4 per cent rise.
More than 264,000 babies were born in 2005-06 while more than 133,000 people died.
The fertility rate of 1.83 births per woman was the highest since 1994-95, when it was 1.84 births per women.
