As of 2023, Australia's net overseas migration was 152.2 thousand people. In 2020 and 2021, net migration in Australia reduced drastically due to travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Net migration increased to over 400 thousand people once restrictions were eased in 2022.

Migrants from the United Kingdom have long been Australia’s primary immigrant group and in 2023 there were roughly 960 thousand English-born people living in Australia. India and China held second and third place respectively with regard to Australia’s foreign-born population. The relative dominance of Asian countries in the list of top ten foreign-born residents of Australia represents a significant shift in Australia’s immigration patterns over the past few decades. Where European-born migrants had previously overshadowed other migrant groups, Australian migration figures are now showing greater migration numbers from neighboring countries in Asia and the Pacific. A history of migration Australia is often referred to as an ‘immigrant nation’, alongside the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Before the Second World War, migrants to Australia were almost exclusively from the UK, however after 1945, Australia’s immigration policy was broadened to attract economic migrants and temporary skilled migrants. These policy changes saw and increase in immigrants particularly from Greece and Italy. Today, Australia maintains its status as an ‘’Immigrant nation’’, with almost 30 percent of the population born overseas and around 50 percent of the population having both that were born overseas. Australian visas The Australian immigration program has two main categories of visa, permanent and temporary. The permanent visa category offers three primary pathways: skilled, family and humanitarian. The skilled visa category is by far the most common, with more than a million permanent migrants living in Australia on this visa category at the last Australian census in 2021. Of the temporary visa categories, the higher education visa is the most popular, exceeding 180 thousand arrivals in 2023.

Australia immigration statistics for 2015 was 6,763,663.00, a 14.97% increase from 2010.

• Australia immigration statistics for 2010 was 5,882,980.00, a 20.6% increase from 2005.
• Australia immigration statistics for 2005 was 4,878,030.00, a 11.21% increase from 2000.
• Australia immigration statistics for 2000 was 4,386,250.00, a 5.61% increase from 1995.

International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.

In 2019 there were 1,262,204 migrants from the United Kingdom in Australia. The next largest migrant groups were people from China and New Zealand at over 600,000 migrants each. More recently Australian migration figures are showing greater migration numbers from neighboring countries in Asia and the Pacific and reduced numbers of European-born migrants.

Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Western Australia data was reported at 8,246.000 Person in Jun 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16,990.000 Person for Mar 2024. Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Western Australia data is updated quarterly, averaging 3,967.000 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Jun 2024, with 173 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20,995.000 Person in Mar 2023 and a record low of -2,317.000 Person in Sep 2020. Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Western Australia data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G003: Population Change.

Australian Migration Statistics is a statistical package provided as an accompaniment to the annual publication Australia’s Migration Trends published on the Department of Home Affairs website. The statistical package (first produced for the 2016–17 edition of Australia’s Migration Trends) provides detailed statistics on permanent and temporary migration.

See: Migration trends reports - https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/visa-statistics/live/migration-program

In the 2023 financial year, it was estimated that approximately 19.23 thousand more United Kingdom nationals migrated to Australia than emigrated. This marked a significant increase in net overseas migration from the UK to Australia compared to the previous financial year.

Australia Migration Rate: per 1000 Inhabitants: Net data was reported at 3.500 NA in 2100. This stayed constant from the previous number of 3.500 NA for 2099. Australia Migration Rate: per 1000 Inhabitants: Net data is updated yearly, averaging 4.400 NA from Jun 1986 (Median) to 2100, with 115 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.000 NA in 2008 and a record low of 1.700 NA in 1993. Australia Migration Rate: per 1000 Inhabitants: Net data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

In 2023, the number of international migrants to and from South Korea amounted to about 1.28 million people. This is an increase compared to the previous years caused by travel restrictions in response to COVID-19.

Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Victoria data was reported at 17,914.000 Person in Jun 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 41,883.000 Person for Mar 2024. Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Victoria data is updated quarterly, averaging 8,892.000 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Jun 2024, with 173 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50,020.000 Person in Mar 2023 and a record low of -20,667.000 Person in Sep 2020. Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Victoria data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G003: Population Change.

Abstract

This dataset, a product of the Trade Team - Development Research Group, is part of a larger effort in the group to measure the extent of the brain drain as part of the International Migration and Development Program. It measures international skilled migration for the years 1975-2000.

The methodology is explained in: "Tendance de long terme des migrations internationals. Analyse à partir des 6 principaux pays recerveurs", Cécily Defoort.

This data set uses the same methodology as used in the Docquier-Marfouk data set on international migration by educational attainment. The authors use data from 6 key receiving countries in the OECD: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK and the US.

It is estimated that the data represent approximately 77 percent of the world’s migrant population.

Bilateral brain drain rates are estimated based observations for every five years, during the period 1975-2000.

Geographic coverage

Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK and US

Kind of data

Aggregate data [agg]

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

Net overseas migration (NOM) is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia. This dataset contains annual NOM estimates by age and sex at the …Show full descriptionNet overseas migration (NOM) is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia. This dataset contains annual NOM estimates by age and sex at the state/territory and Australia level.

This dataset presents the estimates of the internal and overseas migration statistics of Australia by age by Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) following the 2016 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). The dataset spans from the 2016-17 financial year up to the 2019-20 financial year.

Overseas migration is the movement of people from overseas to Australia's sub-state areas and vice-versa. It cannot be directly measured and is estimated by breaking down overseas migrant arrivals and departures at the state level to sub-state areas, using information from the most recent Census. The state-level overseas migration data is sourced from Department of Home Affairs processing systems, visa information, and incoming passenger cards, and is published in National, state and territory population.

Internal migration is the movement of people across a specified boundary within Australia involving a change in place of usual residence. It cannot be directly measured and is instead estimated using administrative data. The movement of people between and within Australia's states and territories cannot be directly measured and is estimated using administrative data. Internal migration is estimated based on a combination of Census data (usual address one year ago), Medicare change of address data (provided by Services Australia), and Department of Defence records (for military personnel only).

The Medicare source data is assigned to a state or territory and GCCSA for a person's departure and arrival locations, based on the postcodes of their residential addresses as registered with Medicare. Postcodes are assigned wholly to a state/territory and GCCSA based on best fit. Where a postcode is split across areas, it is assigned to the area that contains the majority of that postcode's population.

For more information please visit the Regional population methodology.

AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

This dataset presents the estimates of the internal migration statistics of Australia by Local Government Areas (LGA) following the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). The dataset spans from the 2006-07 financial year up to the 2015-16 financial year.

Regional internal migration is the movement of people from one region to another within Australia (both interstate and intrastate). For example, it incorporates moves from a Local Government Area (LGA) to any other LGA within the country. Net regional internal migration is the net gain or loss of population through this movement.

The ABS has developed a new series of annual regional internal migration estimates (RIME) based on the 2011 edition of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). The Medicare and Defence data used for estimating interstate migration is now also used to estimate internal migration below the state/territory level. However, as Medicare and Defence change of address counts are supplied to the ABS by postcode a method was developed to convert these counts to SA2, the base spatial unit of the ASGS. The method used correspondences to convert to SA2, and adjustments were applied to account for known deficiencies in the Medicare and Defence data. A similar method was used to prepare RIME at the LGA level, based on 2011 boundaries.

This data is Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data (catalogue number: 3412.0) used with permission from the ABS.

For more information please visit the ABS Explanatory Notes.

Please note: RIME are not directly comparable with estimated resident populations (ERPs) because of the different methods and source data used to prepare each series. The combination of natural increase and net migration (internal and overseas) therefore may not correspond with change in ERP. AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

In the financial year 2023, it is estimated that 4.89 thousand more Malaysians migrated to Australia than emigrated. This marked an increase in net immigration of Malaysians in the country compared to the previous year.

Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: South Australia data was reported at -297.000 Person in Jun 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of -461.000 Person for Mar 2024. Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: South Australia data is updated quarterly, averaging -710.000 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Jun 2024, with 173 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,755.000 Person in Mar 2021 and a record low of -2,305.000 Person in Dec 2016. Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: South Australia data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G003: Population Change.

Germany Immigration: Australia & Oceania data was reported at 5,368.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,499.000 Person for 2022. Germany Immigration: Australia & Oceania data is updated yearly, averaging 4,026.000 Person from Dec 1964 (Median) to 2023, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,954.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 2,311.000 Person in 1981. Germany Immigration: Australia & Oceania data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistisches Bundesamt. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.G005: Migration.

Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: Victoria data was reported at -24.000 Person in Jun 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 767.000 Person for Mar 2024. Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: Victoria data is updated quarterly, averaging -489.000 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Jun 2024, with 173 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,197.000 Person in Dec 2015 and a record low of -10,431.000 Person in Dec 2020. Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: Victoria data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G003: Population Change.

Net overseas migration (NOM) is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia. This dataset contains annual NOM estimates by age and sex at the state/territory and Australia level.

In the 2023 financial year, the net overseas migration of New Zealand nationals to Australia is estimated at 15.34 thousand emigrants. This marked a significant increase compared to the previous financial year.