population forecasts | forecast.id

Plan for the future

 

forecast.id gives your council the confidence to plan for the future with a single-scenario forecast of population and housing, that uses local insights and a proven and transparent forecasting model.

More than 130 councils around Australia inform their decisions using forecast.id.

Engage Australia’s biggest and most trusted forecasting team to build a population and household forecast for your local government area.

Learn more about subscribing to forecast.id →

 

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Anticipate and plan for the changing needs of your community 

Communities are always changing, but understanding what is driving change, how councils can influence change, and quantifying the impacts of change are necessary to plan effectively.

Based on a detailed understanding of land and housing supply, forecast.id gives you detailed knowledge of how housing and population will change each year for each suburb so you can make informed decisions about the future.

We deliver the results of the forecasts online, in a web application called forecast.id. Most councils make their population forecasts available to the public so community groups, investors, business people, students and the general public can access detailed population forecasts for their needs as well.

Used by more than 130 councils around Australia

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Benefits to council

Deliver services to the right people at the right time and place

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A proven model

Updated population figures from the 2021 Census showed forecast.id to be more accurate than state government population forecasts for local areas because we work closely with local governments to inform the assumptions. 

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A single scenario

A choice of forecast scenarios (aggressive, moderate or conservative) inevitably leads to selective use by different interest groups. forecast.id simply presents the most likely population and housing scenario, for integrated planning.

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Independent reflection of council policy

forecast.id is developed by independent forecasters, and is designed to reflect the population, dwellings and households outcomes of local government land-use, housing and economic policies. This provides both a feedback and monitoring mechanism for these policies

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Transparent assumptions

A forecast is only as good as its assumptions. The data and modelling we use to develop each forecast is shared openly, so you use the results with confidence.

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Public access

forecast.id is published in an easy-to-use online tool. This can either be made freely available to local businesses, investors and community groups, or password-protected for internal council use only.

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Annual monitoring

As the world and council policies change, so do our forecasts. We regularly monitor and update our forecasts so you can plan with confidence.

Cardinia
For years we've used forecast.id to plan services and facilities more accurately than was possible in the past. With forecast.id, our staff can show how many four year old's are likely to want kindergarten in years to come, allowing the groundwork to occur now
John Holland
Manager Strategic Planning

Benefits to communities

A resource for all.

Empower your community. With individual forecasts for over 2,500 communities, forecast.id allows council, local businesses and community groups to work from the same evidence base.

 

Features

Designed for decision makers.

Transparent assumptions 

The website explicitly presents the underlying assumptions and forecast methodology.

Our forecasts are developed in close collaboration with council. By ensuring your polices, strategies and development plans are considered as inputs, we can deliver more accurate, locally-relevant forecasts.

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Small areas that make sense to you

Understand local differences by dividing your LGA into custom geographies that reflect your communities.

We apply a detailed understanding of the drivers of change at a small area level geography that reflects different population outcomes across the municipality. 

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Visualise change  

Visualise change with responsive maps, tables and charts enabled for easy integration into other documentation.

Use the year range slider to see population and household data for specific points in the future.

The area selector helps you see the impact of population and household change on your small areas within your LGA.

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Easy exports and custom reporting

Make the data work for you.

Download detailed data, export charts and tables, create instant reports allowing for in depth analysis.

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Key outputs and assumptions

Use forecast.id to...

An essential tool for all of council.

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Community services

Deliver services that reflect the current needs of your community and plan for their future needs.

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Strategic planning

Understand the population implications of proposed development and planning policies.

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Advocacy

Provide the evidence base that enables council and community groups to advocate for appropriate services and funding.

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Grants

Successfully secure funding with an evidence-base that quantifies current and future levels of demand and is trusted by the main funding organisations.

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Assets and infrastructure

Ensure your infrastructure plan accurately identifies the timing and location of future demand.

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Inform policy

Clearly understand the impact of policy on the future population outcomes for your community.

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Marketing and communications

Paint a clear picture of your changing community; promote your area to prospective residents, businesses and investors.

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Executive and governance

Paint the picture of your future community with meaningful inductions for new elected members and briefings for management.

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Corporate and finance

Quantifying trends in population and dwellings  refine growth assumptions in your Long Term Financial Plan.

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Consultants

Avoid expense and inconsistency of repeated analysis by giving consultants access to the same forecasts used by council.

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Economic development

Support local business decision-making by providing the data they need to build business cases that attract investment in your community.

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Waste management

See the changing household types in different parts of your community to better plan the logistics of waste collection.

Why are our forecasts the most trusted in Australia?

All of our forecasts are underpinned by our National Forecasting Program. Produced by Australia's most trusted, independent forecasting team, the program provides the most consistent & detailed forecasts of population, housing and residential development available in Australia.
Explore our National Forecasting Program

What's the process for getting forecast.id?

Frequently asked questions

Book a demonstration 

Curious to learn more? Get in touch and our team will contact you to understand your requirements and provide a demonstration.