Aussie population to top 22m 'soon'

Australia's population is set to overtake the 22 million mark shortly after
lunchtime on Thursday, a demographer predicts.
That means the nation's population would have doubled since 1963, back when
Australia only accepted European migrants.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates the nation was home to
21,998,977 people at 5.35pm AEST on Wednesday.
Social demographer Mark McCrindle predicts Australia's population will nudge past
the 22-million mark at 2.02pm AEST on Thursday.
"Australia is experiencing the perfect storm of population growth," he said.
During the past year, Australia has had its biggest population increase - a record
406,083 people based largely on a record birthrate of 300,000.
The Australian population hit 21 million in June 2007.
At the present rate of growth - one million extra people every 27 months -
Australia's population will reach 40 million people by 2050, Mr McCrindle said.
A decade ago, the ABS was forecasting a population of 23.5 million by 2051 with a
one per cent annual population growth.
But Mr McCrindle says a two per cent growth rate would equate to see the equivalent
of a new Canberra added to Australia every year.
The ABS says a new Australian is born every one minute and 44 seconds as a new
migrant arrives every one minute and 53 seconds.
It estimates that one person dies every three minutes and 39 seconds.