Sydney is divided into 15 major statistical districts by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (called Statistical Area Level 4 or SA4) and economist Terry Rawnsley from SGS Economics and Planning tracked population trends in each one between 2001 and 2018. The analysis showed the distribution of population across the 15 regions is now much more uneven than in 2001. Rawnsley said the unbalanced distribution of population growth reflected, to some extent, the capacity of different regions to absorb additional residents, such as having well-developed transport infrastructure. But a more even pattern of growth would allow the city to function better. "Some parts of Sydney have had huge population growth and then there are places with similar characteristics which have seen much less population growth," he said.

"Is that the best outcome for the whole city? Not really." Sydney's most populated statistical district – the inner south-west – reached 620,000 residents last year, followed by Parramatta with 493,000. The least populated statistical districts in 2018 were Ryde (200,000) and Sutherland (229,000). For nurse Erin Coggins, the diversity of Parramatta is one of the area's major drawcards. Mrs Coggins lives in a quiet street opposite a park in North Parramatta and works at Westmead Hospital with her husband Andrew. If I go to the Eastern Suburbs I become really acutely aware of how diverse Parramatta is and how different it feels to be away from that. Erin Coggins, Parramatta resident "I really like the diversity," she says.

"If I go to the Eastern Suburbs I become really acutely aware of how diverse Parramatta is and how different it feels to be away from that. "I love that our son goes to daycare with his best friend. His parents are from India and the other kid he plays with is Chinese. He doesn't think twice, he doesn't see differences." But while she is happy to see the area grow, Mrs Coggins worries about population growth in Parramatta reaching a tipping point. "I do think the western suburbs are at risk of being abused a bit in terms of overdevelopment because people don't stand up to it as much as in affluent areas." As Sydney's population grows, the pressure on roads and other infrastructure increases. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Population politics Greater Sydney's population rose by 1.13 million between 2001 and 2018. Just five regions – Parramatta, the city and inner south, inner south-west, south-west and Blacktown – accounted for 55 per cent of that increase or 617,000 people. The population of Greater Sydney topped 5 million in mid-2016 and now stands at 5.2 million, according to official population estimates. Sydney's population growth rate has been especially strong during the past five years, peaking at 2.1 per cent in 2016-17, the highest in a quarter of a century. That year Sydney's population grew by 112,000.

But managing the population boom has become a political challenge amid growing voter concern about excessive development and congestion. Last October, Premier Gladys Berejiklian called for immigration to NSW to be halved, saying the state needed "to take a breather" after years of strong population growth. Sydney's average commute time rose by 8 per cent between 2006 and 2016 to 38 minutes, the highest among the capital cities, a recent report by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics showed. Who moved where?

Parramatta, the fastest growing statistical area, had the lowest share of residents born in Australia at 44 per cent, the 2016 census showed. Residents born in India accounted for 8.4 per cent and China 7.4 per cent. The Sutherland region had the highest proportion of Australia-born residents in 2016, with 78 per cent. The figure has dropped less than 1 per cent since 2001. The Sutherland region and the Northern Beaches were the least ethnically diverse, with Australia, the UK and New Zealand the top three countries of birth in both areas. The share of Sydneysiders born in China grew rapidly in the 15 years to 2016, with the country placed in the top four for country of birth in 10 of the 13 regions around Sydney. Some mornings I leave and it adds an hour to my day just because of traffic. Greg Corman, Shire resident

The biggest increase was in the Ryde region, where people born in China grew from 3 to 12 per cent of the population. It represents the largest proportion of any country of birth outside Australia anywhere in Sydney. The south-west is home to a large number of people born in South-East Asia and the Middle East, with Vietnam, Iraq and Cambodia contributing 18 per cent to the population in 2016. Shire resident Greg Coman has lived in Sutherland his entire life. The 57-year-old grew up in the region, which he describes as "a big country town". Greg and Nerida Coman with their children Tallis, Amelie and Lilia at the sand dunes near their Cronulla home. Credit:Steven Siewert

But as Sydney's population swells, the father-of-three says he fears the wave of congestion that could reach his doorstep. "Some mornings I leave and it adds an hour to my day just because of traffic, extra traffic lights or infrastructure going in," he says. While other parts of Sydney have changed substantially this century, Mr Coman acknowledges the characteristic lack of diversity within the Shire, which is still mostly inhabited by white Australians. While the pace of change is slow, Mr Coman has noticed an increase in diversity within his community. "When I was a kid, you could only go to a steak restaurant, or Pizza Hut or the Chinese [restaurant] but now you can [get] Mexican, Italian, Thai food," he said.

The Shire's distance from the CBD leads to a sense of isolation, with many residents insulated from the rest of the city, he said. "They tend not to go outside of the Shire. Everything is basically here for them." The Coman family in Cronulla. Credit:Steven Siewert Varied regional economic performance Sydney's best performing regional economy over the past five years has been Ryde. The economic output of that district grew at an average annual rate of 5 per cent between 2013 and 2018, more than twice the rate of population growth in that area.

Rawnsley said a key driver of Ryde's strong growth was the successful Macquarie Park business hub. The second strongest average annual economic growth rate was in the Baulkham Hills-Hawkesbury region which includes the Norwest Business Park (4.8 per cent) followed by North Sydney and Hornsby (4.6 per cent). The economic output of the city and inner south region, which takes in the CBD, was $153 billion in 2017-18. But its average annual growth rate was a more subdued 2.7 per cent, Rawnsley's analysis shows. Growth was lowest in the outer west and Blue Mountains area at 2.5 per cent per year. It's probably one of the best areas to live. It's close to everything, it's central and there are trains close by. Christine Sande, Parramatta resident

Strong population growth has not necessarily correlated with strong economic performance. Average annual growth in the Parramatta region between 2013 and 2018 was 2.6 per cent, the second-lowest in the city, despite having the highest rate of population growth since 2001. But the growing population in Sydney's west is positive news for Christine Sande and her husband Pierre. The couple own Restaurant 317 in Parramatta and the region's booming population has brought more customers to their thriving venue, which expanded in 2013 to cater for the demand. "It's good because obviously they're building another big city. Who doesn't want more resources and events opening up the area?" Mrs Sande says. "More people living here means more people who will walk through our door."

But the downside is constant construction, with planned works to build the new light rail line threatening to cut foot traffic to the area, she said. Christine Sande at Restaurant 317 in Parramatta, which she owns with her husband Pierre. Credit:Renee Nowytarger A common complaint Mrs Sande has heard lately is: "We don't go to Parramatta anymore – it's too crowded and there’s no parking." But overall, Mrs Sande says she enjoys the hustle and bustle of living in Sydney's vibrant west. "It's probably one of the best areas to live. It's close to everything, it's central and there are trains close by," she says.