In financial year 2023, it was estimated that 64.32 thousand more Chinese migrated to Australia than emigrated. This marked a significant increase in Chinese net migration compared to 14.72 thousand people in the previous financial year.

The Chinese community in Australia

Chinese migration to Australia dates back to the Australian gold rush of the 1850s and 60s, however, exclusionary migration policies up until the 1970’s restricted migration from China for some time. Since then, immigration from China has increased steadily and Chinese migrants now represent Australia’s third largest migrant group after the UK and India. The 2016 Australian census showed that Mandarin was the second most common language spoken at home in Australia, and Cantonese came in fourth. The Australian Chinese community also includes a significant proportion of the international students from China choosing to study in Australia.

Chinese investment in Australia

Although foreign investment in Australia still comes primarily from its traditional trade partners, the United States and the United Kingdom, Chinese investment has been increasing in recent years. The bulk of Chinese investment in Australia goes toward commercial real estate and agribusiness. In New South Wales alone, real estate investment from China totaled almost 1.25 billion Australian dollars, which accounted for around a half of all Chinese real estate investment in the country. By comparison, in 2019 the import value of Australian food products to China displayed yet another year on year increase, totaling more than two billion U.S. dollars.

Humans have been living on the continent of Australia (name derived from "Terra Australis"; Latin for "the southern land") for approximately 65,000 years, however population growth was relatively slow until the nineteenth century. Europeans had made some contact with Australia as early as 1606, however there was no significant attempt at settlement until the late eighteenth century. By 1800, the population of Australia was approximately 350,000 people, and the majority of these were Indigenous Australians. As colonization progressed the number of ethnic Europeans increased while the Australian Aboriginal population was decimated through conflict, smallpox and other diseases, with some communities being exterminated completely, such as Aboriginal Tasmanians. Mass migration from Britain and China After the loss of its American colonies in the 1780s, the British Empire looked to other parts of the globe to expand its sphere of influence. In Australia, the first colonies were established in Sydney, Tasmania and Western Australia. Many of these were penal colonies which became home to approximately 164,000 British and Irish convicts who were transported to Australia between 1788 and 1868. As the decades progressed, expansion into the interior intensified, and the entire country was claimed by Britain in 1826. Inland colonization led to further conflict between European settlers and indigenous Australians, which cost the lives of thousands of natives. Inward expansion also saw the discovery of many natural resources, and most notably led to the gold rushes of the 1850s, which attracted substantial numbers of Chinese migrants to Australia. This mass migration from non-European countries eventually led to some restrictive policies being introduced, culminating with the White Australia Policy of 1901, which cemented ethnic-European dominance in Australian politics and society. These policies were not retracted until the second half of the 1900s. Independent Australia Australia changed its status to a British dominion in 1901, and eventually became independent in 1931. Despite this, Australia has remained a part of the British Commonwealth, and Australian forces (ANZAC) fought with the British and their Allies in both World Wars, and were instrumental in campaigns such as Gallipoli in WWI, and the South West Pacific Theater in WWII. The aftermath of both wars had a significant impact on the Australian population, with approximately 90 thousand deaths in both world wars combined, as well as 15 thousand deaths as a result of the Spanish flu pandemic following WWI, although Australia experienced a significant baby boom following the Second World War. In the past fifty years, Australia has promoted immigration from all over the world, and now has one of the strongest economies and highest living standards in the world, with a population that has grown to over 25 million people in 2020.

This statistic shows the share of ethnic groups in Australia in the total population. 33 percent of the total population of Australia are english.

Australia’s population

Australia’s ethnic diversity can be attributed to their history and location. The country’s colonization from Europeans is a significant reason for the majority of its population being Caucasian. Additionally, being that Australia is one of the most developed countries closest to Eastern Asia; its Asian population comes as no surprise.

Australia is one of the world’s most developed countries, often earning recognition as one of the world’s economical leaders. With a more recent economic boom, Australia has become an attractive country for students and workers alike, who seek an opportunity to improve their lifestyle. Over the past decade, Australia’s population has slowly increased and is expected to continue to do so over the next several years. A beautiful landscape, many work opportunities and a high quality of life helped play a role in the country’s development. In 2011, Australia was considered to have one of the highest life expectancies in the world, with the average Australian living to approximately 82 years of age.

From an employment standpoint, Australia has maintained a rather low employment rate compared to many other developed countries. After experiencing a significant jump in unemployment in 2009, primarily due to the world economic crisis, Australia has been able to remain stable and slightly increase employment year-over-year.

Bubble tea has surged in popularity across Australia over recent years, primarily thanks to changing consumer tastes and multicultural influences. Strong migration from Asian regions has introduced many Australians to bubble tea, shifting it from a niche beverage into a mainstream option. Shops have spread rapidly in areas with substantial Asian communities and younger demographics, notably the CBDs of Melbourne and Sydney, reflecting greater consumer acceptance of bubble tea. Over the past few years, demand for premium bubble tea drinks has remained resilient despite economic headwinds. Even though periods of weaker consumer sentiment and rising living costs have weighed on discretionary spending, many consumers have continued to purchase high-quality bubble tea as an affordable luxury. Younger consumers, in particular, have viewed bubble tea as a healthier and more appealing alternative to traditional beverages like alcohol, cementing consistent demand among this valuable demographic. At the same time, rising health awareness has prompted bubble tea shops to invest in offering healthier versions containing lower sugar levels, dairy-free substitutes and health-driven ingredients, broadening their market appeal and pushing up industrywide profitability. Expanding interest in bubble tea is expected to have uplifted revenue at an annualised 0.5% over the five years through 2024-25 to $480.7 million. This includes an anticipated hike in revenue of 4.2% in 2024-25 as household discretionary incomes improve. The industry is on track to continue expanding over the coming years, driven by improvements in consumer sentiment and discretionary incomes. Strengthening economic conditions will encourage consumers to spend more on discretionary items like premium bubble tea. Nonetheless, intensifying competition and rising input costs could pose risks if bubble tea shops can't effectively price their products competitively relative to rivals and substitutes. Overall, industry revenue is forecast to climb at an annualised 1.9% over the five years through 2029-30 to total $528.3 million.