Australia's population increased by 377,100 in the 12 months leading up to June 30th of this year, new figures have shown.
A report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that there were around 22,342,000 people living in the country by the end of June.
The annual growth rate for the year was 1.7 per cent, lower than the 2.2 per cent recorded for the year ending June 30th 2009.
Also revealed in the report is that the median age of the Australian population has increased by 4.8 years over the last two decades, from 32.1 years in June 1990 to 36.9 years in the same month of this year.
"Over the next several decades, population ageing is projected to have significant implications for Australia, including for health, labour force participation, housing and demand for skilled labour," the report states.
Last month, chief economist for BIS Shrapnel Frank Gelber wrote in the Australian newspaper that residential building recovery will soon resume as the population expands and Australian property is increasingly in demand.
Posted by Ravin Chatlani
