SA investors might find this interesting:
SOUTH Australia is punching above its weight socially and economically - officially shrugging off the malaise of the 1990s, new figures show.
In a range of data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday, SA is pegging back the gap on the other states amid the upcoming defence and mining boom.
One of the most exciting statistics for demographers in the Australian Social Trends 2007 report relates to babies.
The state is well above the national average for fertility rates. Over the past five years, SA's fertility rate increased almost 7 per cent, compared with 4.5 per cent nationally.
"Which is really interesting because SA's fertility has generally been lower than other states . . . it's really quite a significant change," demographer Professor Graham Hugo said.
On top of that, the number of migrants coming to the state has almost doubled to 6.6 per cent in the past decade to 11,900 people last financial year.
Professor Hugo predicts that on current trends SA will reach its two million population target by about 2030, not 2050.
While wages in SA remain among the lowest in the nation, the levels appear to be consistent with SA's lower housing and grocery costs.
The state's unemployment rate kept pace with national figures, dropping from 9 per cent a decade ago to 5 per cent.
The workforce participation rate remained unchanged but dropped in most other states.
In terms of upskilling the state's workforce, the number of people gaining post school qualifications jumped by 14 per cent to 56 per cent.
"It really shows that there has been some economic and demographic progress - certainly demographically there has been a closing of the gap between SA and the rest of Australia - that's very clearly indicated there," Professor Hugo said.
Population trends expert Bernard Salt believes SA had been lagging in a demographic and psychological malaise which had its origins in the State Bank collapse, but the defence and mining boom have brought massive change.
"You've had a couple of events that have catapulted SA forward at a faster rate than other states for the first time," he said.
"There's just suddenly an air of confidence, fewer people are leaving, some people are coming back, people are having babies, not wanting to be in Melbourne, Sydney or London."
SOUTH Australia is punching above its weight socially and economically - officially shrugging off the malaise of the 1990s, new figures show.
In a range of data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday, SA is pegging back the gap on the other states amid the upcoming defence and mining boom.
One of the most exciting statistics for demographers in the Australian Social Trends 2007 report relates to babies.
The state is well above the national average for fertility rates. Over the past five years, SA's fertility rate increased almost 7 per cent, compared with 4.5 per cent nationally.
"Which is really interesting because SA's fertility has generally been lower than other states . . . it's really quite a significant change," demographer Professor Graham Hugo said.
On top of that, the number of migrants coming to the state has almost doubled to 6.6 per cent in the past decade to 11,900 people last financial year.
Professor Hugo predicts that on current trends SA will reach its two million population target by about 2030, not 2050.
While wages in SA remain among the lowest in the nation, the levels appear to be consistent with SA's lower housing and grocery costs.
The state's unemployment rate kept pace with national figures, dropping from 9 per cent a decade ago to 5 per cent.
The workforce participation rate remained unchanged but dropped in most other states.
In terms of upskilling the state's workforce, the number of people gaining post school qualifications jumped by 14 per cent to 56 per cent.
"It really shows that there has been some economic and demographic progress - certainly demographically there has been a closing of the gap between SA and the rest of Australia - that's very clearly indicated there," Professor Hugo said.
Population trends expert Bernard Salt believes SA had been lagging in a demographic and psychological malaise which had its origins in the State Bank collapse, but the defence and mining boom have brought massive change.
"You've had a couple of events that have catapulted SA forward at a faster rate than other states for the first time," he said.
"There's just suddenly an air of confidence, fewer people are leaving, some people are coming back, people are having babies, not wanting to be in Melbourne, Sydney or London."
