This report is about measuring temporary populations, in contrast to the permanent population measured by the Census undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) every five years.

The population of Australia was estimated at 22.8 million in February 2012, making it the 51st most populous country in the world. With a settlement pattern dominated by six major cities, Australia is one of the most heavily urbanised countries in the world.

The last few years have seen a transformation of the scale, characteristics and significance of international population movements. There has been a massive increase in global movement and an increase in the complexity of the types of movement--permanent and temporary, legal and illegal, forced and voluntary. Graeme Hugo argues that much of the thinking and...

The long term and permanent migration of people out of Australia has increased substantially in recent years. At present little is known about the scale, composition and significance of that movement. Graeme Hugo, Dianne Rudd and Kevin Harris seek to fill this gap through analysis of secondary data and surveys of the individuals involved. The...

Australian cities are experiencing rapid and profound change. This paper seeks to summarise some of the main social dimensions of that change by focusing on some of the major changes occurring in the population of metropolitan Australia.