Every Person Counts: Planning for WA’s future population

Alex Buckland (), Alfred Dockery and Alan Duncan
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Alex Buckland: Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin University

No FWA20, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Report series from Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School

Abstract: To understand and prepare for Western Australia’s future, we must look beyond headline population counts and examine the forces that shape how, where and why the state grows. Population change is not just a demographic outcome. It reflects economic opportunity, migration flows, housing, infrastructure investment and policy choices. When these forces align, population growth strengthens productivity, economic progress and the welfare of communities. When they do not, pressures emerge across housing, infrastructure and services, constraining opportunity and eroding confidence. This twentieth report in the BCEC’s Focus on Western Australia series examines the state’s population story through that wider lens. It asks a set of fundamental questions. What is driving WA’s population growth, and how predictable are those drivers? How do migration, economic cycles and housing capacity shape the state’s demographic trajectory? Why do some regions grow while others struggle to sustain population? And what do these patterns mean for planning, productivity and long-term prosperity? This report draws on new empirical analysis to better understand these dynamics. Using multiple data sources and advanced modelling, we link population outcomes to their economic drivers, identify leading indicators of migration and population change, and explore how different economic and policy scenarios could shape Western Australia’s future growth. The analysis moves beyond trend-based projections to capture how migration responds to labour markets, investment and housing, and how these forces affect population growth over time. A clear message emerges. Population growth in Western Australia is neither fixed nor inevitable. It is responsive, cyclical and policy sensitive. Economic opportunity attracts people, housing availability shapes settlement, infrastructure directs growth, and participation patterns influence sustainability. Regional outcomes depend on coordinated investment in jobs, services and housing, reinforcing the importance of evidence-based planning and policy.

Keywords: population growth; demography; demographic composition; population dynamics; migration; net interstate migration; net overseas migration; productivity; housing supply; housing shortages; regional populations. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 I21 I31 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 103 pages
Date: 2026-02
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