Population change and internal migration during the COVID-19 pandemic

Understanding spatial patterns of population change is vital in planning for services and infrastructure and in managing the pressures created as local populations grow and decline. A large shock to the Australian economy and society, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has the potential to create new pressure for settlement pattern change. This report investigates regional population change and internal migration flows during the peak period of the pandemic (2020-21), contrasting with a 5-year period representing the medium term, and the population change for 2021-22.

The report uses the BCARR migration geography, which separates regions by characteristics including city status and whether coastal, inland or remote.