Statistics Overseas Born Australian Population

MEDIA RELEASE from ABS

July 28, 2008

52/2009
Over one quarter of Australians were born overseas

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today reveal 5.5 million migrants from over 200 countries living in Australia were born overseas, as at June 2008.

People born in the United Kingdom remained the largest group with 1.2 million calling Australia home, followed by those from New Zealand (495,000 people), China (314,000), India (239,000) and Italy (222,000).

However, over the last 10 years those born in the UK declined from 6.1% of Australia’s population in 1998 to 5.4% in 2008. Likewise the Italian-born declined from 1.3% to 1.0%. In contrast, increases were recorded for people born in New Zealand (from 1.8% to 2.3%), China (from 0.7% to 1.5%) and India (from 0.5% to 1.1%).

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During 2007 ??08, travellers contributing to Australia’s net overseas migration figure were born in over 200 countries and added 213,700 people to Australia’s population. This represented 59% of the nation’s population growth for the year.

In 2007 ??08, net overseas migration added to the populations of every state and territory. The highest figures were recorded in NSW (61,300 people) followed by Victoria (58,100) and Queensland (41,200). The lowest was in the Northern Territory adding 960 people to the population.

For more information on overseas, interstate and local migration see Migration, Australia 2007-08 (cat. no. 3412.0) available for free from the ABS website at: Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Media note:
Net overseas migration is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia.
The median age is the age at which half the population is older, and half is younger.

2006 Census Estimated Resident Population by Country of Birth