Australia Net Migration data was reported at 138,510.000 Person in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 140,232.000 Person for 2023. Australia Net Migration data is updated yearly, averaging 108,852.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2024, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 275,773.000 Person in 2008 and a record low of 23,833.000 Person in 1993. Australia Net Migration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Sum;

Please Note: As announced by the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection on 25 June 2017, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) retired the paper-based Outgoing Passenger Cards (OPC) from 1 July 2017. The information previously gathered via paper-based outgoing passenger cards is now be collated from existing government data and will continue to be provided to users. Further information can be accessed here: http://www.minister.border.gov.au/peterdutton/Pages/removal-of-the-outgoing-passenger-card-jun17.aspx.

Due to the retirement of the OPC, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) undertook a review of the OAD data based on a new methodology. Further information on this revised methodology is available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/3401.0Appendix2Jul%202017?opendocument&tabname=Notes&prodno=3401.0&issue=Jul%202017&num=&view=

A sampling methodology has been applied to this dataset. This method means that data will not replicate, exactly, data released by the ABS, but the differences should be negligible.

Due to ‘Return to Source’ limitations, data supplied to ABS from non-DIPB sources are also excluded.

Overseas Arrivals and Departures (OAD) data refers to the arrival and departure of Australian residents or overseas visitors, through Australian airports and sea ports, which have been recorded on incoming or outgoing passenger cards. OAD data describes the number of movements of travellers rather than the number of travellers. That is, multiple movements of individual persons during a given reference period are all counted. OAD data will differ from data derived from other sources, such as Migration Program Outcomes, Settlement Database or Visa Grant information. Travellers granted a visa in one year may not arrive until the following year, or may not travel to Australia at all. Some visas permit multiple entries to Australia, so travellers may enter Australia more than once on a visa. Settler Arrivals includes New Zealand citizens and other non-program settlers not included on the Settlement Database. The Settlement Database includes onshore processed grants not included in Settler Arrivals.

These de-identified statistics are periodically checked for privacy and other compliance requirements. The statistics were temporarily removed in March 2024 in response to a question about privacy within the emerging technological environment. Following a thorough review and risk assessment, the Department of Home Affairs has republished the dataset.

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.

Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Victoria data was reported at 24,375.000 Person in Sep 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 17,504.000 Person for Jun 2024. Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Victoria data is updated quarterly, averaging 8,892.000 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 174 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.

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.

Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Western Australia data was reported at 11,564.000 Person in Sep 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,957.000 Person for Jun 2024. Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Western Australia data is updated quarterly, averaging 3,972.000 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 174 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.

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.

Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: South Australia data was reported at 4,907.000 Person in Sep 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,406.000 Person for Jun 2024. Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: South Australia data is updated quarterly, averaging 1,536.500 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 174 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,708.000 Person in Mar 2023 and a record low of -1,287.000 Person in Dec 2020. Population Change: Net Overseas 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.

Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Tasmania data was reported at 695.000 Person in Sep 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 435.000 Person for Jun 2024. Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Tasmania data is updated quarterly, averaging 216.500 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 174 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,773.000 Person in Dec 2019 and a record low of -283.000 Person in Sep 2020. Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Tasmania 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.

In financial year 2023, it is estimated that 2.42 more Nigerians migrated to Australia than emigrated. This marked an increase in net overseas migration from Nigeria to Australia compared to the previous financial year.

In financial year 2023, it is estimated that almost 93 thousand more Indians migrated to Australia than emigrated, This marked the highest net overseas migration from India within the measured period.

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.

Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Queensland data was reported at 14,650.000 Person in Sep 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 11,943.000 Person for Jun 2024. Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Queensland data is updated quarterly, averaging 4,857.500 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 174 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26,522.000 Person in Mar 2023 and a record low of -6,781.000 Person in Sep 2020. Australia Population Change: Net Overseas Migration: Queensland 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.

Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: Queensland data was reported at 5,714.000 Person in Sep 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6,830.000 Person for Jun 2024. Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: Queensland data is updated quarterly, averaging 5,645.000 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 174 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17,639.000 Person in Dec 2021 and a record low of 589.000 Person in Mar 2010. Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration: Queensland 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.

Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration data was reported at -417.000 Person in Sep 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of -84.000 Person for Jun 2024. Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration data is updated quarterly, averaging 59.500 Person from Jun 1981 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 174 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,334.000 Person in Jun 2021 and a record low of -1,023.000 Person in Jun 1997. Australia Population Change: Net Interstate Migration 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.

The total population in Australia was estimated at 27.4 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Australia Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

According to the 2021 Australian census, 48.5 percent of Australians were third-plus generation migrants, with both parents born in Australia. Almost 30 percent of Australians were first generation migrants.

In financial year 2023, it is estimated that 17.28 thousand more Pakistanis migrated to Australia than emigrated. This marked a significant increase in net overseas migration from Pakistan compared to the previous fiscal year.

The statistic shows the total population of Australia from 1980 to 2023, with projections up until 2030. In 2023, Australia had a total population of about 26.95 million people. Population of Australia Australia is among the ten largest countries in the world, in terms of area size, although its total population is low in relation to this. Much of Australia’s interior remains uninhabited, as the majority of Australians live in coastal metropolises and cities. Most of the population is of European descent (predominantly British), although there is a growing share of the population with Asian heritage; only a small percentage belongs to the indigenous Aboriginal population. Australia's year-on-year population growth is fairly high compared to most other economically and demographically advanced nations, due to comparatively high rates of natural increase and immigration. Living standards Standard of living is fairly high in Australia, which can be seen when looking at the Human Development Index, which ranks countries by their level of human development and living standards, such as their unemployment rate, literacy rate, or life expectancy at birth. Life expectancy of Australia’s population is quite high in international comparison, for example, Australia is also among the leading countries when it comes to this key factor. Economically speaking, Australia is also among the leading nations, with a steadily rising employment rate, an increasing gross domestic product (GDP) with a steady growth rate, and a relatively stable share in the global GDP.

These population projections were prepared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for Geoscience Australia. The projections are not official ABS data and are owned by Geoscience Australia. These projections are for Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) and are projected out from a base population as of 30 June 2022. Projections are for 30 June 2023 to 2032.

Method The cohort-component method was used for these projections. In this method, the base population is projected forward annually by calculating the effect of births, deaths and migration (the components) according to the specified fertility, mortality and overseas and internal migration assumptions. The projected usual resident population by single year was produced in four successive stages – national, state/territory, capital city/rest of state, and finally SA2s. Assumptions were made for each level and the resulting projected components and population are constrained to the geographic level above for each year.
These projections were derived from a combination of assumptions published in Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071 on 23 November 2023, and historical patterns observed within each state/territory.

Projections – capital city/rest of state regions The base population is 30 June 2022 Estimated Resident Population (ERP) as published in National, state and territory population, June 2022. For fertility, the total fertility rate (at the national level) is based on the medium assumption used in Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071, of 1.6 babies per woman being phased in from 2022 levels over five years to 2027, before remaining steady for the remainder of the projection span. Observed state/territory, and greater capital city level fertility differentials were applied to the national data so that established trends in the state and capital city/rest of state relativities were preserved. Mortality rates are based on the medium assumption used in Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071, and assume that mortality rates will continue to decline across Australia with state/territory differentials persisting. State/territory and capital city/rest of state differentials were used to ensure projected deaths are consistent with the historical trend. Annual net overseas migration (NOM) is based on the medium assumption used in Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071, with an assumed gain (at the national level) of 400,000 in 2022-23, increasing to 315,000 in 2023-24, then declining to 225,000 in 2026-27, after which NOM is assumed to remain constant. State and capital city/rest of state shares are based on a weighted average of NOM data from 2010 to 2019 at the state and territory level to account for the impact of COVID-19. For internal migration, net gains and losses from states and territories and capital city/rest of state regions are based on the medium assumption used in Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071, and assume that net interstate migration will trend towards long-term historic average flows.

Projections – Statistical Areas Level 2 The base population for each SA2 is the estimated resident population in each area by single year, at 30 June 2022, as published in Regional population by age and sex, 2022 on 28 September 2023. The SA2-level fertility and mortality assumptions were derived by combining the medium scenario state/territory assumptions from Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071, with recent fertility and mortality trends in each SA2 based on annual births (by sex) and deaths (by age and sex) published in Regional Population, 2021-22 and Regional Population by Age and Sex, 2022. Assumed overseas and internal migration for each SA2 is based on SA2-specific annual overseas and internal arrivals and departures estimates published in Regional Population, 2021-22 and Regional Population by Age and Sex, 2022. The internal migration data was strengthened with SA2-specific data from the 2021 Census, based on the usual residence one year before Census night question. Assumptions were applied by SA2, age and sex. Assumptions were adjusted for some SA2s, to provide more plausible future population levels, and age and sex distribution changes, including areas where populations may not age over time, for example due to significant resident student and defence force populations. Most assumption adjustments were made via the internal migration component. For some SA2s with zero or a very small population base, but where significant population growth is expected, replacement migration age/sex profiles were applied. All SA2-level components and projected projections are constrained to the medium series of capital city/rest of state data in Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071.

Nature of projections and considerations for usage The nature of the projection method and inherent fluctuations in population dynamics mean that care should be taken when using and interpreting the projection results. The projections are not forecasts but rather illustrate future changes which would occur if the stated assumptions were to apply over the projection period. These projections do not attempt to allow for non-demographic factors such as major government policy decisions, economic factors, catastrophes, wars and pandemics, which may affect future demographic behaviour. To illustrate a range of possible outcomes, alternative projection series for national, state/territory and capital city/rest of state areas, using different combinations of fertility, mortality, overseas and internal migration assumptions, are prepared. Alternative series are published in Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071. Only one series of SA2-level projections was prepared for this product. Population projections can take account of planning and other decisions by governments known at the time the projections were derived, including sub-state projections published by each state and territory government. The ABS generally does not have access to the policies or decisions of commonwealth, state and local governments and businesses that assist in accurately forecasting small area populations. Migration, especially internal migration, accounts for the majority of projected population change for most SA2s. Volatile and unpredictable small area migration trends, especially in the short-term, can have a significant effect on longer-term projection results. Care therefore should be taken with SA2s with small total populations. With the exception of areas with high planned population growth, SA2s with a base total population of less than 500 have generally been held constant for the projection period in this product as their populations are too small to be reliably projected at all. These SA2s are listed in the appendix. The base (2022) SA2 population estimates and post-2022 projections include small artificial cells, including 1s and 2s. These are the result of a confidentialisation process and forced additivity, to control SA2 and capital city/rest of state totals, being applied to their original values. SA2s in this product are based on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) boundaries as at the 2021 Census (ASGS Edition 3). For further information, see Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3.

Data and geography references

Source data publication: Population Projections, Australia, 2022 (base) to 2071 Geographic boundary information: Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 Further information: Population Projections, Australia methodology Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

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