Australia’s population to hit 25 million

Canberra: Australia’s population is set to hit the 25 million mark, according to official estimates by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), a milestone reached in record time as net migration continues to outpace births. According to ABS, Australia’s population was increasing by one person every 83 seconds and the new population record was likely to be set late on Tuesday night, ABC News reported. The 25th million resident could be a new migrant to the country, a newborn baby or an Australian returning home after living abroad. “We won’t know for sure who the 25 millionth Aussie will be. But it is more likely to be an overseas migrant than a newborn,” author and political commentator George Megalogenis was quoted as saying. “The two biggest migrant groups in Australia are Chinese and Indians since the turn of the 21st century,” he told The World programme. (IANS)