Fact Sheet 5 - Emigration from Australia

While most of the debate on migration concentrates on the numbers and characteristics of immigrants to Australia, emigration (that is, people leaving Australia) has increased steadily in recent years.

A total of 81 018 people left Australia permanently in 2008-09.

Background

Statistics on permanent departures are based on information provided by passengers as they leave Australia. The statistics provide a picture of trends, although the available figures do not totally represent the emigration picture.
Example: They only include those passengers who declare an intention to depart permanently. They do not take into account people who record they are leaving temporarily but who do not return, and they do include those who say they are leaving permanently but who then subsequently return.

Reasons for emigration

The decision to leave Australia is usually based on a complex and varied set of reasons.

Overseas-born emigrants may return to their country of birth because of feelings of homesickness or insecurity, especially those who leave within a year or two of arriving in Australia. Older emigrants sometimes depart after they retire. Widowhood and divorce can also motivate departures. Younger immigrants may also return to their country of birth because they are needed by their family in their former country.

For Australian-born people, the decision to leave permanently is usually based on economic reasons, particularly employment. Some children born in Australia to former settlers eventually return with their parents to their country of origin.

With the exception of New Zealanders, there is no significant relationship between unemployment rates and emigration: high unemployment rates do not necessarily lead to high levels of emigration, or vice versa.

Emigration levels

Over the post-war period, for those born overseas, high (or low) emigration levels have been associated with high (or low) numbers of permanent arrivals two years earlier. In other words, a small but significant number of people migrating to Australia chose to leave within two years.

In recent years, more Australian-born residents have been leaving. This trend is likely to continue as a result of the increasing internationalism of labour markets and global demand for skilled workers.

Emigration by overseas-born

Of the 81 018 people who departed permanently in 2008-09, 49.1 per cent were born overseas. When compared with the 2007-08 figures (49.1 per cent) the most recent figures suggest that permanent departures among the overseas-born remain fairly steady.

The largest group of overseas-born emigrants in 2008-09 were the New Zealand-born, with 8003 people or 9.9 per cent of all emigrants. Permanent movements between Australia and New Zealand reflect differences between relative real incomes and employment opportunities in the two countries.

The United Kingdom-born were the second largest emigrant group, with 6160 people (7.6 per cent) departing permanently, followed by China-born (4999 people or 6.2 per cent), Hong Kong SAR-born (2196 people or 2.7 per cent) and Vietnam-born (1220 people or 1.5 per cent).

A majority of these emigrant groups returned to their country of birth.
Example: New Zealand (80.9 per cent), United Arab Emirates (73.3 per cent), United States of America (71.4 per cent), Singapore (63.0 per cent) and the United Kingdom (53.5 per cent).

Most (79.2 per cent) overseas-born people who left Australia permanently in 2008-09 had lived here for more than five years. However, a significant proportion (13.9 per cent) departed after less than two years' residence in Australia.

Emigration by Australian-born

In 2008-09, 41 249 Australia-born people departed permanently. This figure includes the Australia-born children of former settlers.

Overwhelmingly, the Australia-born are emigrating to the United Kingdom, New Zealand or the United States. In 2008-09 , 46.8 per cent of Australian-born emigrants went to one of these three countries. The next most popular destinations were Singapore (8.2 per cent) and the United Arab Emirates (7.4 per cent).

Skilled emigration

In 2008-09, 66.5 per cent of people departing permanently were in employment prior to leaving. The largest group (20 856 or 38.7 per cent) were professionals, followed by managers and administrators (8710 or 16.2 per cent) and intermediate clerical, sales and service workers (6336 or 11.8 per cent).

A total of 30.5 per cent (including children) stated on their passenger cards that they were not in the labour force.

Effects of emigration

The effects of emigration are many, but some of the important implications are:

• emigration is a large component of population change, and population change has implications for planning many private and public services
• emigration can represent a loss of skills and experience (the so-called 'brain drain') as well as a loss of social investment in fields such as education, training, health services and settlement costs of immigrants
• on the other hand, emigrants can help develop links between Australia and its trading partners by facilitating access to overseas markets for Australian goods and services
• emigrants may send back substantial remittances and invest foreign currency in Australia
• if emigrants return to Australia, they may bring back new skills and knowledge.

Further information

For the results of research and further reading see:

Hugo, G., Rudd, D. and Harris, K. (2001) Emigration From Australia, Economic Implications CEDA.

Statistics: 1979-80 to 2008-09

For statistics of permanent and long-term arrivals and departures from 1979-80 to 2008-09.
See: Permanent arrivals and departures from Australia, 1979-80 to 2008-09

Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au

The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

Fact Sheet 5. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Last reviewed 10 September 2009.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2009.