Melbourne has become Australia’s largest city by population, surpassing Sydney, which had held the title for over a century. The change occurred after officials redrew borders to include Melton district within Melbourne, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The latest population figures show that Melbourne has a population of 4.8 million, which is 18,700 more than Sydney’s population. A city is defined as a ‘significant urban area’ with all suburbs having more than 10,000 people, according to the bureau.
Melbourne’s population is expected to reach 6 million by mid-2031, with Sydney expected to pass that mark in 2032-33.
The primary reason for the shift in demography is net internal migration from within and outside of the country. While more people have been moving out of Sydney to other parts of Australia, Melbourne has been receiving more people in some years. Immigration is expected to compensate for the effects of low birth rates in both cities, according to Nick Parr, a professor of demography at Macquarie University.
Melbourne’s rapid growth is largely thanks to international migration, according to Australian National University demographer Liz Allen. She noted that Melbourne has a reputation for celebrating diversity, while Sydney has a ‘historical hangover’ of a time when ‘it didn’t want to be seen as anything other than white.’
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