The population of Western Australia is around 2 million people and of these, about 1.4 million (73%) live in the Perth metropolitan area (1).
In 2002-2003, over 12,000 migrants settled in WA, representing around 13% of the total migrant intake to Australia (2).
Migrants from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand accounted for some 43% of the total.
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Settler Arrivals to WA
by Country of Birth (2) |
| Country | Number | % of total |
| United Kingdom | 3,319 | 27.0% |
| South Africa | 1,144 | 9.3% |
| New Zealand | 833 | 6.8% |
| Malaysia | 825 | 6.7% |
| Indonesia | 705 | 5.7% |
| Total WA | 12,279 | 100% |
| Top 5 countries shown (see them all) |
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Population Distribution
The main population is distributed close to the Central Business District (CBD), along the Swan and Canning rivers and near the coast.
Growth over the last few years has seen the Perth metropolitan area stretch even further up and down the coast, past Mindarie (30km north of the CBD) and down to Rockingham (40km to the south).
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Where are migrants settling?
Currently we don't have statistics on the suburbs where migrants are settling, but we know the northern suburbs are very popular, especially for migrants from the UK and South Africa. Roughly, this covers the coastal suburbs from Trigg to Mindarie, plus those suburbs inland from them. Undoubtedly, the main attraction is the great beaches in these areas and the availability of new housing developments.
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Data Sources
1. Australian Bureau of Statstics - Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0)
2. DIMIA - Immigration Update 2002-2003. Table 2.5
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