According to an article in the Australian last week Queensland has been named the fastest-growing state, with more people moving to it from other states then anyway else in Australia.

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that Queensland is the fastest growing state, having gained 500,000 new residents in the five years to June 2009.

The increase accounted for 29% of Australia's population growth. Victoria had the second largest gain of 25%, followed by New South Wales with 23% and Western Australia with 14%.

Brisbane grew 2.3% a year, significantly greater than national growth of 1.8%, bringing the city's population in 2009 to 2,004,300.

Even faster growth occurred on the Sunshine Coast (3.1 per cent), Gold Coast (3.3%), and Cairns (3.8%).

The ABS estimates that by mid-century Brisbane will have a population between 3.76 million and 4.5 million.

While most of Australia's population increase was due to overseas migration, Queensland recorded the highest increase in people moving from other states.

Editors Comments: And who can blame them?