Statistics

The number of households in Australia is projected to increase by up to 4 million over the next 25 years, according to projections released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Dramatic headline, for what appears to be a slight decrease in the very high growth levels we have seen recently

Employment growth has picked up but is only just keeping pace with population growth, leaving the jobless rate in limbo.

Immigration-fuelled population growth has accelerated under the Rudd Government. Recent projections suggest that Australia may grow from its current 22 million to 35.9 million by 2050. This prospect has sparked a public debate about the country’s demographic future. If population growth were to become an election issue how would Australian voters respond? Relevant new data are available from the latest Australian Survey of Social Attitudes, a mailout questionnaire sent to a large random sample of voters. It was completed between December 2009 and February 2010.

MORE than two-thirds of Australian voters do not embrace population growth, according to a national survey of social attitudes. When asked ''Do you think Australian needs more people?'' an overwhelming 69 per cent answered negatively - and voters in Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's home state of Queensland were most opposed.

SEVEN in 10 people want a "House Full" sign hung on Australia's front door, with women and Queenslanders leading the charge. (Monash Survey Results)

TWO-thirds of Australians don't want the country's population to reach 36 million by 2050, as forecast by Treasury, an opinion poll shows.

A survey by the Lowy Institute says almost three-quarters of Australians want to see the country's population grow, but not by too much. The Lowy Institute surveyed more than 1,000 people last month and found that while there is support for increased immigration, Australians are not quite prepared to embrace the Government's prediction that the nation will reach 36 million people by 2050.

Only 10% of Australians want a Population of 35 Million+ by 2040. While 64% of Australians want Asylum seekers arriving by boat, To be returned and told to apply through normal refugee channels Finding No. 4482 - These are the main insights from the special Roy Morgan telephone survey conducted on the evenings of March 16/17, 2010, with an Australia-wide cross-section of 670 men and women aged 14 or over.

THE recent spike in immigration numbers is at least partly due to a pen stroke -- a change in the way the Australian Bureau of Statistics calculates its figures.