Canberra, Dec 15 : Australia's population grew by 1.1 per cent in the 12 months to the end of June, new data revealed on Thursday. According to the data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), this means that as of June 30, there were 25.98 million people living in Australia, an increase of 290,900 over 12 months, reports Xinhua news agency. In the previous year, the Australian population grew by only 0.13 per cent amid strict Covid-19 border rules which shut off migration to the country. The borders were reopened to international visitors in February after almost two years. There were 395,000 overseas migration arrivals to Australia in the 12 months to June and 224,100 departures, resulting in net overseas migration of 170,900. By comparison, net migration was negative 84,900 in 2020-21. There were 306,500 births and 182,100 deaths in 2021-22, resulting in a natural population increase of 124,400, down 10.8 per cent from the previous year. Every state and territory recorded positive population growth. However, the two biggest states of New South Wales and Victoria, which endured Australia's longest and strictest lockdowns, recorded significant net interstate migration losses totalling some 60,000 people. According to the ABS, Australia's population has surpassed 26 million since the end of June. The milestone came four years after the population hit 25 million in August 2018. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the population was forecast to reach 30 million by 2030, but projections have since been downgraded. /IANS