From white sandy beaches in the north, lush vineyards and forests in the south west to the arid red dirt of the outback, there is a vast variety of landscapes in regional Western Australia.

Living in a regional area is popular due to the peaceful and relaxed lifestyle matched with services, infrastructure, shopping and entertainment.
There are nine regional areas in Western Australia:

Key statistics

Region	Land mass (square km)	Population*	Unemployment rate
Perth	4 478	1 899 753	5.4%
Gascoyne	135 074	9 959	8.9%
Goldfields-Esperance	769 701	61 333	5.3%
Great Southern	38 914	59 935	3.8%
Kimberley	419 558	39 099	12.9%
Mid West	466 830	58 183	7.1%
Peel	5 520	128 798	7.4%
Pilbara	505 870	67 503	3.1%
South West	23 969	174 052	4.3%
Wheatbelt	156 661	74 774	3.7%

*Figures sourced from ABS CAT 3218.0
Last modified: 15/12/2015

Changes to the Graduate Stream of the State Nomination Migration Program

The State Nomination Migration Program (SNMP) Graduate stream will soon be more accessible for international students who study in Western Australia.

On 16 October 2019 Premier Mark McGowan announced that the Graduate Stream of the SNMP will be extended to include vocational education and training (VET) graduates who complete a qualification in Western Australia at Certificate III level or above, excluding trade occupations (unless approved for delivery to international students).

For information on the current Graduate Stream of the State Nomination Migration Scheme requirements visit the State nomination requirements page.

The world’s oldest form of living organisms (stromatolites) can be found in Western Australia.

Regional Western Australia

Key statistics

​Region

Land mass (square km)

​Population*

Unemployment rate​​

Region

Population*

Unemployment rate