Australia's population to overtake 22 mln
CANBERRA. September 30. KAZINFORM Australia's population is set to overtake the 22 million mark shortly after lunchtime tomorrow, a demographer predicted on Wednesday, Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
That means the nation's population would have doubled since 1963, when Australia only accepted European migrants.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the nation is currently home to 21,998,977 people.
Social demographer Mark McCrindle predicts Australia's population will nudge past the 22-million mark at 2.02 p.m. AEST on Thursday.
During the past year, Australia has had its biggest-ever population increase -- a record 406,083 people based largely on a record birth rate of 300,000.
At the present rate of growth -- 1 million extra people every 27 months -- Australia's population will reach 40 million people by 2050, McCrindle said, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version.