Blog post – Lisa Denny, 28 April 2022
Interstate migration for Tasmania: latest data reveals a dramatic change in the age profile of movers and leavers
ABS data released today contained the first full period of interstate migration data for arrivals and departures by age and sex since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
The data for the financial year ending June 2021 reveals a dramatic change in the age profile of those moving to Tasmania and those leaving Tasmania compared with the pre-pandemic profile (the average for 2017 to 2019 financial year data).
If this interstate migration age profile continues, it is likely to have serious implications for economic production and demographic reproduction for Tasmania.
While a quick summary of the interstate migration data reveals that Tasmania recorded a small net loss of 110 people for FY2021 – contrary to popular belief – driven by a 5.9% decline in arrivals to the state and an 8.8% increase in departures from the state, the devil is in the detail.
The age profile of interstate migration for FY 2021 is not comparable to previous years going back to 1998. The most comparable age profile is for 2002, prior to the economic growth period of the early- to mid-2000s.
For FY2021, Tasmania recorded a reversal of pre-pandemic trends with significant net interstate migration losses for those aged 20 to 34, and smaller, comparable losses for those aged 15 to 19. A net loss was also recorded for those aged 35 to 39 and 70 and older, and zero for those aged 5 to 9, whereas net gains had been recorded for these age groups prior to the pandemic.
Read the full story here: workforce demography blog – Lisa Denny: Workforce Demographer.
