Population & Demographics•Series ID: 3.AUS.Q•1981–2026
Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths) - Historical Data
Measures domestic demographic growth from natural increase prior to international migration flows.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q1)
29.9k
Prev (2025 Q4): 22.0k+7.9
Highest Recorded (2012 Q1)
44.1k
Recorded in 2012 Q1
Lowest Recorded (2025 Q4)
22.0k
Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration
Long-Run Mean (1981–2026)
130.6k
46 annual observations · Quarterly
Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths) - Historical Series (1981–2026)
'000 persons / qtrDrag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1981–2026) and recent quarterly releases.
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (3.AUS.Q) Latest: 29.9 '000 persons / qtr (2026 Q1)
Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths) by Decade (1981–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1980s1981–1989
123.4k
High (1983):132.5
Low (1981):92.5
1990s1990–1999
131.5k
High (1990):142.6
Low (1998):121.5
2000s2000–2009
133.8k
High (2009):159.2
Low (2002):117.0
2010s2010–2019
152.2k
High (2012):163.1
Low (2019):139.0
2020s2020–2026
103.2k
High (2021):143.0
Low (2026):29.9
Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths) - Historical Table (1981–2026)
Unit: '000 persons / qtr · Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (3.AUS.Q)
| Year | Natural Increase ('000 persons / qtr) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29.9 | 29.9 | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | 100.3 | 22.0 – 29.6 | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | 104.0 | 23.1 – 28.2 | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | 105.7 | 25.1 – 28.5 | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | 108.7 | 22.9 – 31.7 | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 143.0 | 32.4 – 41.1 | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | 130.9 | 31.2 – 35.6 | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | 139.0 | 32.0 – 38.1 | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 145.8 | 33.2 – 40.2 | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | 142.0 | 30.3 – 39.9 | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | 153.2 | 35.3 – 42.7 | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | 149.0 | 34.8 – 40.4 | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 156.5 | 35.9 – 42.7 | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 158.9 | 37.2 – 43.2 | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 163.1 | 36.5 – 44.1 | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 156.1 | 36.6 – 42.3 | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 157.9 | 36.6 – 43.2 | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | 159.2 | 38.5 – 40.8 | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | 155.8 | 36.2 – 41.9 | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 153.4 | 36.3 – 41.1 | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 139.8 | 32.6 – 36.5 | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | 134.1 | 31.6 – 35.1 | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 119.1 | 28.2 – 33.2 | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 119.0 | 27.2 – 31.6 | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | 117.0 | 25.7 – 32.8 | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 119.1 | 28.5 – 31.9 | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 121.9 | 27.9 – 33.3 | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 122.9 | 28.9 – 33.4 | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | 121.5 | 27.8 – 32.5 | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | 122.9 | 26.5 – 33.2 | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | 125.2 | 28.2 – 33.4 | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | 130.2 | 30.3 – 36.7 | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | 131.9 | 29.3 – 36.7 | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | 138.4 | 32.5 – 37.2 | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | 139.6 | 32.8 – 38.4 | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | 139.5 | 32.2 – 37.0 | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | 142.6 | 32.9 – 38.5 | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | 126.6 | 25.0 – 35.6 | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | 126.3 | 28.5 – 34.3 | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | 126.6 | 29.3 – 33.0 | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | 128.4 | 28.8 – 33.5 | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
| 1985 | 126.0 | 25.8 – 35.6 | The Australian Economy in 1985 → |
| 1984 | 126.6 | 28.8 – 35.2 | The Australian Economy in 1984 → |
| 1983 | 132.5 | 30.1 – 36.4 | Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord |
| 1982 | 125.1 | 26.4 – 34.5 | Early 1980s recession & drought |
| 1981 | 92.5 | 29.3 – 33.6 | The Australian Economy in 1981 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Australian Population (Estimated Resident Population)Population & Demographics · 1901–2026
27.92M2026 Q1
Australian Total Fertility RatePopulation & Demographics · 1975–2024
1.482024
Standardised Death RatePopulation & Demographics · 1971–2025
6.822025
Compare Natural Increase against another indicator →
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Population Components of Change - Natural Increase
- Series / Table ID:
- ABS Dataflow ERP_COMP_Q (3.AUS.Q)
- Release Frequency:
- Quarterly
• Primary source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Population Components of Change - Natural Increase (ABS Dataflow ERP_COMP_Q).
• Observation frequency: Quarterly. Annual table values represent calendar year sums.
• Series coverage spans 1981 to 2026 (46 annual observations).
APA Citation:Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Population Components of Change - Natural Increase (Dataflow ERP_COMP_Q: 3.AUS.Q). Retrieved October 2026 from https://data.api.abs.gov.au
Frequently Asked Questions: Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths)
- What is the current Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths)?
- As of 2026 Q1, the latest recorded Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths) is 29.9 ('000 persons / qtr), compared with 22.0 in 2025 Q4.
- What is the highest and lowest Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths) ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1981–2026), the highest observation was 44.1 ('000 persons / qtr) in 2012 Q1, while the lowest was 22.0 ('000 persons / qtr) in 2025 Q4. The long-run historical average is 130.6.
- Where is the official Natural Population Increase (Births Minus Deaths) data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Population Components of Change - Natural Increase, Series ID: 3.AUS.Q) and is updated on a quarterly basis under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).