South Australia’s rising global reputation as the safest state in the safest country during the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a massive surge in the number of interstate residents choosing to live in SA.

Latest ABS data shows net interstate migration has been positive for the third consecutive quarter (net gain of 130 people for December quarter) to be at its highest level in almost 30 years.

Last year marked the first time since 1992 of a full 12 months of positive net interstate migration (98 people). It comes as Adelaide was lauded by economists as the ‘strongest performer since the onset of the pandemic’ of the major capital cities for house price growth and latest local auction clearance rates have hit a significant 86.1%.

Premier Steven Marshall welcomed the data as further evidence of the state’s strong ongoing economic and jobs recovery, with South Australia earning a global reputation for its safe lifestyle, relative affordability and breadth of opportunity. “Finally, the rest of the country is realising what we’ve always known – there’s no better place to live, work and raise a family than here in South Australia,” Premier Marshall said.

“Business confidence is also high, we are smashing new home building approvals, single touch payroll figures show employment is strong, and net interstate migration is the best it’s been in almost thirty years.

“My goal is to cement South Australia as the best place in the world to get a good job, buy a house and raise a family. “But we know there’s always more work to be done and my number one priority in 2021 is to get as many South Australians into employment.”

In other good news for the South Australia, data also released yesterday by the ABS shows South Australia’s overseas goods exports are growing faster than any other state. The data found South Australia’s overseas goods exports in the year to March 2021 totalled $12.1b.

This was up 9.5% compared with the year to March 2020 – despite the national figure declining by 5.1% while national exports totalled $371.3b in the year to March 2021, down by 5.1% compared with the year to March 2020.

Increases in overseas goods exports in the year to March 2021 were recorded for South Australia (up 9.5%), Western Australia (up 8.5%) and Tasmania (up 3.2%), while falls were recorded for Victoria (down 13%), New South Wales (down 14%), the Northern Territory (down 18%) and Queensland (down 28%).