The 2021 census data, released recently by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), not only provides a fascinating snapshot of our country it is an important tool used in shaping the future of our communities.
The census captured the changing face of our country, while revealing that the Covid-19 pandemic had a major impact on population movement, especially with the number of people leaving southern states for Queensland.
Half a million Australians moved interstate last year, a 20% increase on the previous record set in 2002. More than 80,000 people moved to Queensland between 2020 and 2021, double the number between 2018-19, with most of them coming for New South Wales or Victoria.
There was further evidence of the continued popularity of our region as one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, with the census data revealing more than 22,000 people moved to the northern Gold Coast in the past six years.
Pimpama experienced one of the biggest increases with the population growing from 9,396 in 2016 (the last time the census was conducted) to 24,601 in 2021.
The census also highlighted the diversity of our population, with an additional one million migrants settling in Australia since 2016, among them were 220,000 people born in India.
India has overtaken China and New Zealand to become the third largest country of birth behind Australia and England.
The census data also revealed that almost half of all Australians (48.2%) had a parent born overseas and more than a quarter were themselves born overseas. In the Logan-Beaudesert region 26.5% of the population was born overseas, up slightly from 25.4% in 2016.
All of these statistics play an important role in shaping our country and community, with bureaucrats and planners using the information contained in the census when deciding where to build hospitals, schools, roads, and other facilities.
One can only wonder what nuggets the census will turn up when we take the next national survey in 2026.
