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Fact Sheet 2 - Key Facts in Immigration


This is a brief summary of key immigration and migrant settlement statistics. More detail is available in other fact sheets.

Commonly used terms in this document include:

Migration Program – the number of visas for permanent residence (excludes New Zealand citizens, holders of Secondary Movement Offshore Entry (Temporary), Secondary Movement Relocation (Temporary), Temporary Protection visas and visas issued under the Humanitarian Program).

Settler arrivals – people entitled to permanent residence actually arriving (includes New Zealanders intending to stay permanently and settler arrivals under the Humanitarian Program).

Net permanent migration – the number of people permanently arriving in Australia minus those permanently departing.

Post-war migration

Since early 1945, 6.8 million people have come to Australia as new settlers. They have had a marked influence on all aspects of our society. In the 61 years of planned post-war migration, Australia has seen:

The trigger for a large-scale migration program was the end of World War II. Agreements were reached with Britain some European countries and with the International Refugee Organisation to encourage migration, including displaced people from war-torn Europe.

About one million migrants arrived in each of the six decades following 1950:

The highest number of settlers to arrive in any one year since World War II was 185 099 in 1969-70. The lowest number in any one year was 52 752 in 1975-76.

Today, nearly one in four of Australia 's 21 million people were born overseas. For the past three financial years, the United Kingdom has been the major source country for migrants.

The number of settlers arriving in Australia between July 2007 and June 2008 totalled 149 400. They came from nearly 200 countries. Most were born in New Zealand (18.5 per cent), the United Kingdom (15.6 per cent), India (10.3 per cent), China (8.7 per cent) and the Philippines (4.1 per cent).

Today's migration program recognises that business globalisation has resulted in a major flow of people who often do not intend to stay in Australia permanently.

Settler arrival figures

  Settler Arrival Numbers Net Permanent migration
1997-1998 77 300 45 300
1998-1999 84 100 49 000
1999-2000 92 300 51 200
2000-2001 107 400 60 800
2001-2002 88 900 40 700
2002-2003 93 900 43 500
2003-2004 111 600 52 500
2004-2005 123 400 60 800
2005-2006 131 600 63 700
2006-2007 140 100 68 000
2007-2008 149 400 72 400

Settler arrivals by region of birth between July 2007 and June 2008

Oceania 31 700 21.2%
Europe 30 700 20.6%
North Africa and the Middle East 8 300 5.5%
South-East Asia 21 200 14.2%
North-East Asia 18 000 12.0%
Southern Asia 22 100 14.8%
Central Asia 1 800 1.2%
Northern America 2 200 1.5%
South and Central America & the Carribbean 2 100 1.4%
Sub-Saharan Africa 10 600 7.1%
Supplementary Country Codes 600 0.4%
Not Stated/Not Elsewhere Included 100 0.1%
TOTAL (including 'not stated' and former USSR nfd) 149 400 100.0%

Major source countries

July 2007 to June 2008 settler arrivals, by country of birth

New Zealand 27 600 18.5%
United Kingdom 23 200 15.6%
India 15 300 10.3%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 13 000 8.7%
Philippines 6 100 4.1%
South Africa 5 200 3.5%
Sri Lanka 3 600 2.4%
Malaysia 3 500 2.4%
Vietnam 2 700 1.8%
Korea (North and South) 2 600 1.7%

By way of comparison: Settler arrivals by region of birth for 1997-98

Oceania 17 800 23.0%
Europe 19 000 24.6%
North Africa and the Middle East 5 800 7.5%
South-East Asia 9 700 12.5%
North-East Asia 10 200 13.2%
Southern Asia 4 800 6.2%
Central Asia 600 0.8%
Northern America 2 000 2.6%
South and Central America & the Carribean 700 0.9%
Sub-Saharan Africa 6 300 8.1%
Supplementary – Country Codes 400 0.5%
Not Stated/Not Elsewhere Included   0.0%
Total (including 'not stated' and former USSR nfd) 77 300 100.0%

Population

At March 2008, the estimated population for Australia was 21.3 million - this represented an annual increase of 336 800 people and a population growth rate of 1.6 per cent. This population growth rate was the highest since 1988.

Population growth has two components: natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) and net overseas migration (net permanent and long-term overseas migration plus adjustments for changes in traveller duration intention).

This graph shows the contributions of natural growth and net overseas migration to Australia 's population growth between 1997 and 2007.

graph of annual population growth

At 30 June 2006, 24.6 per cent of the estimated resident population of Australia were born overseas. Of those born overseas, 29.7 per cent were born in North-West Europe, 16.7 per cent in Southern and Eastern Europe and 12.6 per cent in South-East Asia. The top five countries of birth made up 44.7 per cent of the overseas-born population.

Top 5 Countries of Birth at 30 June 2006

Country of Birth Estimated Number % of Overseas-born
United Kingdom 1 140 263 22.4%
New Zealand 443 606 8.7%
China (excl. SARS and Taiwan ) 259 095 5.1%
Italy 227 344 4.5%
Vietnam 185 879 3.6%
Other 2 837 233 55.7%
Total Overseas-born 5 093 420 100.0%

Source: Migration Australia (ABS Cat 3412.0)

2008-09 Migration program

The planning level under the Migration Program for 2008–09 is 190 300. This represents a 20 per cent increase on the planning levels for 2007–08 that was set at 158 800. This compares with program outcomes of:

The program planning level set by the Government for 2008-09 represents a 25 000 increase in the Skill Stream (to comprise 70 per cent of the total program) and a 6500 increase in the Family Stream. The increase in the Skill Stream will help meet the ongoing needs of business and industry for skilled labour.

See: Fact sheet 20 Migration Program Planning Levels

Continued