Over the course of the last century, the world grew in size more than ever before. In 1900, the global population was about 1.67 billion people and Australia was home to 3.8 million. In 2025, the world's population is almost 8.2 billion and Australia has grown to more than 26.8 million people. 

Demographer Mark McCrindle told the ABC that while most of the developed world was grappling with population contraction due to a collapse in birth rates, Australia had "never added more people to our population as we have in the last two years". "In the last two decades, migration increased to be about 60 per cent of growth in an average year and natural increases was the other proportion — about 40 per cent," he said. "Migration is now up to 83 per cent of our growth … so, record population increases in Australia." 

Mr McCrindle said that the big difference in 2025 when compared to the start of the last century was that much of Asia now saw Australia as a desirable location to live and visit, and the country had been increasing its population mostly with skilled migrant workers and international students. That trend could result in Australia's population increasing to 50 million people by the 2050s, he said.