Australia's population growth is at near-record levels, with rates reaching the heights last set after World War II.

Newly released figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show the population swelled by 389,000, a growth rate of 1.8 per cent, in the year to September 2008.

The rate of population increase was the highest since the 1950s and 1960s when levels of more than 2 per cent a year were driven by post-war immigration and high birth rates.

The most recent surge in the population, which is estimated to be approximately 21,705,600, was driven largely by overseas migration.

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