The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that Australia’s population grew by 1.8 per cent during 2012, returning to the excessive growth seen three years ago.

This is the level advocated by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s hugely unpopular ‘Big Australia’ policy, which was renounced by Julia Gillard on her ascension to the top job. Her government has in the intervening years quietly and gradually restored immigration levels to their Kevin Rudd-levels.

The director of ABS Demography, Bjorn Jarvis, confirmed the increase in Australia’s population growth rate is being driven by net overseas migration.

“Net overseas migration added 235,900 people to the population in 2012, which is a 17 per cent increase over 2011,” he said.

“Net overseas migration accounted for 60 per cent of Australia’s total growth, with the remaining 40 per cent due to natural increase. Notably, 2012 also saw a 4 per cent rise in natural increase, which is the largest increase in almost four years.”

Western Australia continued to lead the nation with an annual increase of 3.5 per cent, the highest of any state or territory, to reach 2.47 million by the end of December 2012. It also had the highest population growth by percentage over the ten years from 2002-2012, increasing by 27.6 per cent or 534,100 people.

The lowest growth rate was in Tasmania where the population increased by just 0.1 per cent to reach 512,400.

Victoria had the highest increase in natural increase for the year ending 31 December 2012, increasing by 18.6% (or 6,500 people).

The number of births increased by 2.2 per cent over the past year while the number of deaths increased by 0.2 per cent. (108)