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http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/16846947/australian-population-hits-23m-abs-says/
Australia is now home to 23 million people, according to an estimate by the Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS), with the milestone prompting discussion about population size.
The ABS's population clock is based on a projected increase of one person every one minute and 23 seconds, taking into account birth and death rates, and the net gain from migration.
Australia hit the 23 million mark just before 10pm (AEST) on Tuesday according to the clock, with the last million added from September 2009.
NB;- According to the ABS, the nation's population passed five million in 1919, 10 million in 1960, 15 million in 1983 and 20 million in the December quarter of 2003.
With the milestone looming, earlier in the day Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she thought the figure was relatively low. In terms of the world's most populous nations, Australia is ranked in the mid-50s.
"By the standards of the world we are a relatively low-population country, but we have the 12th strongest economy in the world - now that's an achievement," Ms Gillard told reporters in Sydney.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government wasn't interested in setting "arbitrary targets", but rather the distribution and composition of the nation's people.
"We are interested in where the population is and the type of groups within our population," he told reporters on Tuesday. "There are many communities where there aren't sufficient jobs and equally there are many communities where there are more jobs than people to fill them."
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government was looking at "where and how" people live. "We need to think about the shape of our cities, whether jobs are close to housing," she said.
According to the ABS, the nation's population passed five million in 1919, 10 million in 1960, 15 million in 1983 and 20 million in the December quarter of 2003.
Australia is now home to 23 million people, according to an estimate by the Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS), with the milestone prompting discussion about population size.
The ABS's population clock is based on a projected increase of one person every one minute and 23 seconds, taking into account birth and death rates, and the net gain from migration.
Australia hit the 23 million mark just before 10pm (AEST) on Tuesday according to the clock, with the last million added from September 2009.
NB;- According to the ABS, the nation's population passed five million in 1919, 10 million in 1960, 15 million in 1983 and 20 million in the December quarter of 2003.
With the milestone looming, earlier in the day Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she thought the figure was relatively low. In terms of the world's most populous nations, Australia is ranked in the mid-50s.
"By the standards of the world we are a relatively low-population country, but we have the 12th strongest economy in the world - now that's an achievement," Ms Gillard told reporters in Sydney.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government wasn't interested in setting "arbitrary targets", but rather the distribution and composition of the nation's people.
"We are interested in where the population is and the type of groups within our population," he told reporters on Tuesday. "There are many communities where there aren't sufficient jobs and equally there are many communities where there are more jobs than people to fill them."
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government was looking at "where and how" people live. "We need to think about the shape of our cities, whether jobs are close to housing," she said.
According to the ABS, the nation's population passed five million in 1919, 10 million in 1960, 15 million in 1983 and 20 million in the December quarter of 2003.
