I actually thought we'd hit this figure last year, but there you go. Australia now lays claim to
more than 21 million people, with immigration at near records levels and Australian women pumping out babies like never before:
Some other stats of interest :An extra 315,700 people in the three months to June 30 pushed Australia's population growth rate to 1.5 per cent.
Immigration accounted for 56 per cent of Australia's growth, while 272,900 births minus 134,800 deaths made up 44 per cent of the increase.
Western Australia was the fastest expanding of the states and territories, recording a 2.3 per cent growth rate.
Australia's fertility rate is on the rise, with 272,900 babies born in the year to June the highest ever annual number of births.
One new Australian is born every 1 minute and 56 seconds.
One Australian dies every 3 minutes and 59 seconds.
We gain one new international migrant every 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
In 1788, there were an estimated 350,000 settlers and convicts. At the time of first settlement, there were an estimated 500,000 Aborigines broken up into some 500 tribes, or nations, speaking hundreds of languages.
In 1901, the population had swelled to some 3,788,000 Australians.
In 1931, there were 6,526,000 of us.
In 1971, there were 13,00,000 Australians.
In 1991, there were 17,00,000.
Although we have two square kilometres of land per person, much of it is arid desert. We are one of the world's most highly urbanised populations, with more than 91% of us living in urban areas. The vast majority of these urban areas are close to the coast.
There are more than 850,000 Australian citizens living abroad.
One in five Australians cite "no religion" when given the choice on census forms.
