The Australian population will reach 35 million people in a generation (2050). Treasurer Swan revealed that the population ageing story in Australia is changing.  The updated Intergenerational report will predict Australia's population will grow by 65 per cent to 35 million people in 2049. To put things in perspective: the world’s most populous metropolitan area anno 2009 is Tokyo (Photo), already called home by 35 million people today!

Migration

The Aussie population was previously tipped to reach 28.5 million in 2047.  The extra 6.5 million Australians over 40 years will come from births and migration. Swan says the total fertility rate of Australian women has increased to more than 1.9 births per woman in recent years - a level of fertility not seen since the 1980s. Migration to Australia will also increase, and Mr Swan says these people "tend to be younger than the resident population, and contribute to the projected larger and younger Australian population".  But despite changes to the nation's demographic make-up in four decades, the drain on government services including health, pensions and aged care will come from a greying population. The proportion of the population aged 85 and over is projected to increase most rapidly, rising from 1.7 per cent of the population in 2009 to 5 per cent in 2049.  The Government has laid the groundwork to tackle the ageing population by raising the pension age to 67 from 65 at a rate of six months every two years from 2017.