Canberra, June 15 : Australia's population rose to about 26.3 million people at the end of December 2022, marking an increase of 496,800 people from a year earlier, official data revealed on Thursday. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed that the annual population growth rate of 1.9 per cent was the highest since 2008 as a result of migration, reports Xinhua news agency. According to the ABS, the population grew by 387,000 people from net overseas migration, with 619,600 people arriving in the country from overseas and 232,600 people departing. "Recovery of international student arrivals is driving net overseas migration to historic highs, while departures are lagging behind levels typically seen over the past decade," Beidar Cho, ABS head of demography, said in a statement. Natural increase, which is calculated by subtracting deaths from births, was 109,800 people in 2022, down almost a quarter from 2021, with deaths rising 11.1 percent. "Covid-19 mortality was the main contributor to an increased number of deaths and lower natural increase in 2022," said the ABS. /IANS