Key Points
- Census revealed more people moved to Queensland from other states than anywhere in the country.
- More than 107,500 people moved to the sunshine state from other states and territories.
- The figures also showed a huge amount of people left one state in particular.
Census data shows more people moved interstate to Queensland than any other state or territory in the five years to 2021.
The sunshine state’s net population gain from those moving within the country eclipsed that of Tasmania and the ACT in the five years leading to 2021, which were the only other two states to record an increase from internal migration.
Queensland's population increase from residents moving interstate was more than 10 times larger than that of the ACT - a net gain of 107,500 compared to 10,600. Tasmania recorded a population boost of more than 15,300 people.
Interstate migration of people in Australia 2016-2021. Source: SBS News / Census 2021, ABS
"Queensland has been the main destination in Australia since the 1970s and probably before that - so really, this is just an exacerbation of existing trends," she said.
Ms Bernard said affordability, weather and lifestyle factors were big drawcards for those heading to the state.
“I think also what has changed is people have really realised that Brisbane is a viable destination - that it has a strong economy. There are a lot of events and services that people can work in, and this has obviously been made easier by teleworking to some extent,” she said.
Opportunities and the lifestyle
Freelance photographer Matthew Poon and his family made the move to Brisbane from Perth in August last year and he said they are loving the change.
The main reason for the move was his wife, Illiona Quek, wanted a new challenge with her work in the finance industry.
Illiona Quek and Matthew Poon moved their family to Brisbane from Perth in 2021. Source: Supplied / Matthew Poon
Ultimately they preferred the idea of Brisbane, so Mr Poon's wife jumped on a plane to meet with potential employers and came back with three attractive job offers.
Ms Quek is not the only newcomer to the state in her investment manager role.
"Half of the staff are pretty much from Sydney or Melbourne as they all moved over here during the pandemic," she said.
Other drawcards
The family are enjoying living in Queensland.
They have purchased an apartment in an inner Brisbane suburb and enrolled their two children in a nearby school.
While Mr Poon said their home probably cost a little more than it would have if they bought the same thing in Perth, it was much less than they would have had to spend if they chose to move to Melbourne or Sydney.
He said the amenities in Brisbane were much better than those in Perth, especially the public transport network and local government facilities such as children’s playgrounds.
"And there’s just a lot more to do in close proximity of where we live in Brisbane when compared to Perth," Mr Poon said.
He loves that he can wear shorts in winter in Queensland and he adds that his daughters are also experiencing benefits.
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The more tropical climate means the children have not suffered from eczema - a condition where the skin gets irritated - since the move, like they often did back home in WA.
Mr Poon, who had built connections and a reputation as a freelance photographer in Perth, said work has picked up in recent months after having to re-establish himself in the new location.
He said he has used the adjustment period to take up more of the parenting and domestic responsibilities.
The family is undecided how long they will remain in Brisbane.
While the idea of returning to Perth to be closer to Mr Poon’s extended family is always present, the prospect of being in Brisbane when the city hosts the 2032 Olympics is also appealing to the couple.
The state most people are leaving
The interstate net migration figures also highlight which state many of those moving to Queensland moved from.
New South Wales recorded a loss of more than 102,200 people.
McCrindle social researcher Ashley Fell said issues such as housing affordability, congestion and infrastructure bottlenecks in New South Wales had seen people leaving the state.
“Congestion, waiting times are quite high in New South Wales and at times the house prices in Sydney have been 14 times the average annual income, so there are lots of reasons pushing people out of living in NSW,” she said.
The Northern Territory, Victoria, WA and South Australia recorded net interstate population losses, the lowest being by 1,600 people and the highest loss was 13,400 people.
