Australia’s population officially crossed the 28 million mark on Tuesday.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics population clock ticked past the staggering figure in the early hours of the morning. The clock runs on real-time calculation of estimated births, deaths, and net migration and registers an increase of one person every one minute and 15 seconds in the overall population.

Western Australia is leading this national surge.

According to ABS head of demography Phil Browning, the state recorded a nation-leading growth rate of 2.2 per cent from September 2024 to September 2025. Tasmania had the slowest growth over the year with a 0.3 per cent rise in population.

The Centre for Population accurately predicted WA’s fast growth and Tasmania’s slow growth in its population statement published last year.

In its latest statement, the authority projected the national growth rate to slow to 1.3 per cent for the 2025-2026 period.

This reflected an expected drop in net overseas migration alongside plummeting birth rates. The centre projected the national fertility rate would hit a record low of just 1.42 children per woman, falling well short of the 2.1 that is needed to sustain natural growth.

After a peak in the 2022-2023 post-Covid period, net overseas migration returned to its pre-pandemic patterns in 2025-2026.

The centre said that was largely driven by a drop in temporary arrivals, specifically those on student and visitor visas.

For the 2025-2026 period, the population authority forecast a 260,000 net overseas migration.