Almost 45,000 people left Victoria at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The data covers the 2020/2021 financial year, during which time the state underwent multiple lockdowns.
The greatest exodus came from metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) — Melbourne, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Boroondara, Yarra, and Monash had the greatest estimated resident population declines in terms of percentage of population.
Those Victorians that didn't flee the state largely stayed within striking distance of the city.
Melton population surge
The LGAs with the greatest estimated population increases were Surf Coast, Melton, Bass Coast, and Mitchell.
The ABS data shows Surf Coast, situated south-west of Geelong, grew by about 1500 residents, or 4.4 per cent of its population, making it the greatest increase in terms of percentage.
But the biggest internal migration in terms of sheer numbers was to Melton, north-west of Melbourne.
An additional 6,700 people resided in Melton by the end of the '20/'21 financial year — an increase of 3.9 per cent.
But the idea of the pandemic treechange or seachange only extended so far, as a number of regional shires saw their populations decline.
Colac-Otway, located in south-west Victoria near Geelong, has been growing in population by about 1.3 per cent over the past four years, and about one per cent for the decade prior to that.
But the ABS data for the 20/21 financial year shows a drop of 0.7 per cent.
Other regional shires dropped even further. Yarriambiack, Swan Hill, West Wimmera, and Mildura saw their number of residents fall by between 2.1 and 1.2 per cent.
