Australian Migration and Population Dashboard

Contextualising the real, relevant numbers behind Australia’s migration and population trends.

The migration dashboard was last updated on Thursday, 26-01-2023 - 14:30:00

Introduction

This website brings together Australian Government statistics to provide a single source of truth for current migration statistics. Each chart sorts and compares publicly available data to explain Australia’s migration and population story.

All sources are transparently marked and linked. As new or updated data becomes available, we’ll add it to this site. By showcasing reliable data, and making it more accessible, this site aims to inform public discussion and understanding of migration and population in Australia.

More information about terminology relevant to Australia’s migration and population statistics can be found here.

2.5%
Population growth
In the 12 months to December 2023, Australia’s population grew about 2.5 percent
547,267
Net Overseas Migration
In the 12 months to December 2023, Australian NOM was 547,267
195,004
Permanent skilled and family visas
There were 195,004 skilled and family permanent visas granted in 2022-23
17,875
Humanitarian visas
There were 17,875 humanitarian visas granted in 2022-23
2.7 mil
Temporary visas
There were 2,690,891 people who had a temporary visa in Australia as at 30 June 2024

Part One

People

Australian population trends

Population growth is driven by two factors: natural increase (births minus deaths), net internal migration (internal arrivals minus internal departures) and net overseas migration (overseas arrivals minus overseas departures). At the national level, net internal migration is 0.

In 2006, migration overtook natural increase as the dominant component of Australia’s population growth. Since then, net overseas migration has consistently contributed more strongly to Australia’s population growth than natural increase, except for 2020 and 2021.

In 2023, Australia’s population grew by about 2.5 percent, recording the largest annual growth rate since 2008. Since the re-opening of Australia’s borders in November 2021, Australia’s population has increased from 25,766,605 (as of December 2021) to 26,966,789 (as of December 2023).

The Treasury Intergenerational Report - a five yearly deep dive on the demographic profile of Australia - forecast that one of the biggest effects of the pandemic would be a lower population growth, and smaller population that would occur as a result.

The statistics in Part One: People are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Data Explorer API, and count actual people coming and going from Australia.

Components of population growth

Net overseas migration in 2023 reached 547,000. This represented a more than 25 percent increase compared to 2022 (434,000). In both years, net overseas migrations exceeded a previous peak of 316,000 in 2008.

Current levels of net overseas migration are considered temporary. The 2023 Intergenerational Report assumes an average level of net overseas migration of about 235,000 people per year over the next 40 years. Similarly, population projections for Australia between 2022 and 2071 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics assume annual levels of net overseas migration between 175,000 and 275,000.

 

Technical Data

  • Population data is preliminary for three years. This means revisions can and do occur after the initial publication. 
  • There was a series break in the net overseas migration data as the ABS changed their method of categorising migrants. This occurred in September 2006.
  • To be counted as an arrival for the population, a person must be in Australia for 12 out of the past 16 months. This is called the 12/16 rule. Likewise, to be counted as a departure from the population, a person must have been out of Australia for 12 out of the past 16 months. This means tourists who are in Australia for two weeks are not included in population statistics. 

Net overseas migration: arrivals and departures

Migration to Australia is dynamic. Rather than people simply arriving and remaining here for the rest of their lives, people are coming and going. This is a consequence of changing patterns of global mobility.

The current levels of net overseas migration are a direct result of Australia’s border closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented non-citizens and non-residents from entering Australia. People who had been granted a visa to work or study in Australia had to defer their arrival until borders would re-open again in November 2021.

This has temporarily impacted overseas arrivals as well as overseas departures. In 2022 and 2023, overseas arrivals and departures varied from their averages for the 10-year period between 2010 and 2019. At 653,000 in 2022 and 752,000 in 2023, overseas arrivals were at higher levels than the 10-year average of 495,400. In comparison, at 221,000 and 204,000, overseas departures were at lower levels than the 10-year average of 277,400. While there were about 2 overseas arrivals for every overseas departure between 2010 and 2019, in 2023, there were about 4 overseas arrivals for every overseas departure.

 

Where do people come from?

As migration numbers grow, there has also been a shift in where these migrants come from. The slow demise of the White Australia Policy from the 1950s through to the early 1970s laid the foundation for what we see today: people from Asian countries becoming a greater share of our population.

Arrivals and settlements from India are currently outstripping growth from China and New Zealand. Similarly, the population of people born in Nepal has grown strongly over the past few years. The growth in the Nepalese population led to Nepal replacing Sri Lanka, which was the 10th most common country of birth in 2021, as one of the 10 most common countries of birth in 2022. This is in stark contrast to the beginning of the data displayed in the chart when Italy, Vietnam and Greece dominated.

The chart above shows China and India quickly advancing up the list of migrants’ countries of origin over the past 27 years, while post-war European countries like Germany and Greece have fallen out of the top 10. The period of the chart – 1996 to 2023 – represents the largest shift of migrant countries of birth in Australia’s history.

 

State population growth

In addition to informing us of the ebb and flow of people to and from Australia, population statistics also tell a story about the changing populations of each state.  Australia’s national story looks different when examining state-by-state variation over time.

A common thread globally is the large representation of migrants in major urban centres. This is also true in Australia. At the time of the 2021 Census, 78 per cent of Australia’s migrants lived in capital cities, compared with 61 per cent of Australian-born people. Compared to the 2016 Census, the proportion of migrants living in capital cities declined by about 9 percentage points. The concentration of migrants in Australia’s capital cities, however, is not a new trend, with a similar proportion indicated by the 1996 Census.

 

Part Two

Visas

Visa trends

The following statistics in Part Two: Visas are sourced from the Department of Home Affairs administrative visa data, and count visas granted. In some circumstances, a person can be granted more than one visa. 

There are two broad types of visa: permanent and temporary.

Each year, the Australian Government decides how many permanent residency visas to grant under its migration program. This is the primary policy-lever the Australian Government uses to affect the long-term rate of population growth. Apart from New Zealand citizens, it is very difficult to remain in Australia indefinitely without a permanent visa.

Similarly, each year, the Australian Government decides on the size and composition of Australia’s humanitarian program, following a comprehensive consultation process. The humanitarian program facilitates the permanent resettlement of and provides protection to people in humanitarian need. Under the humanitarian program, people’s claims for protection are assessed against the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol alongside other criteria.

Sometimes, the number of permanent visas granted each year is confused with number of people coming to Australia each year. This is incorrect. Most new migrants come to Australia on a temporary visa. Because of this, about one in two permanent visas are granted to people already in Australia.

Unlike permanent visas, the Australian Government does not cap or limit the number of temporary visas granted to migrants. Instead, policy settings and eligibility criteria are used to shape trends. This is why temporary visas are sometimes called ‘demand-driven’. However, in order to halve contemporary high levels net overseas migration by 2025, the Australian Government is seeking to pass legislation that would allow it to cap international student numbers, in addition to other measures discussed in more detail below.

Number of permanent visas granted under Australia’s migration program

Collectively, Australian Governments steadily increased the number of permanent visas available from the mid-1990s. This was primarily achieved by increasing the number of permanent skilled visas.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Government had already reduced the number of permanent residency visas available from approximately 190,000 to approximately 160,000. Following the COVID period of low migration into Australia, and a period where most visas were granted to people who were already in Australia, the Labor Government announced an increase of the permanent intake to 195,000.

 

Number of permanent visas granted under Australia’s humanitarian program

The Federal Government sets a maximum intake for the humanitarian program each year. The maximum intake includes both offshore and onshore components. The majority of the intake is allocated to the offshore component. The actual number of visas granted under the humanitarian program can differ from the set maximum intake.

Successive Australian Governments have highlighted that Australia is one of the largest contributors to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) resettlement program. According to the UNHCR’s Resettlement Data Finder, Australia has resettled a total of 105,650 refugees under that program between 2003 and 2024. This figure puts Australia third, behind the USA and Canada, which have resettled 800,182 and 167,448 refugees, respectively. However, the number of places in the humanitarian program is low compared to the demand. For the financial year 2023-2024, the humanitarian program intake was set at 20,000. According to the UNHCR’s Global Trends 2023, there were a total of 43.4 million refugees globally.

 

Population of temporary visa holders in Australia

The number of people in Australia who held a temporary visa has increased over the years reaching over 2.7 million in June 2024 from just under 1 million people in June 2000.

The number of people on temporary visas fell between 2020 and 2021, because of the border closures. The largest contributors to the decline in temporary visa holders in Australia appear to be visitors and working holiday makers. However, since the reopening of international borders in November 2021, the number of people on temporary visas in Australia has been increasing. The number of 2.7 million recorded in June of the 2023-24 financial year exceeded the just under 2.5 million temporary visa holders recorded in June 2022-2023. These higher numbers of temporary visa holders are a result of efforts by the Department of Home Affairs to clear the backlog in visa processing that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are a number of major temporary visa categories. New Zealand citizens are the largest group in Australia, followed by international students. Both of these groups of people increased throughout the 2000s and 2010s with the growth of the international education sector, and with many NZ citizens choosing to live in Australia under the Trans Tasman Travel Agreement.

From the Howard Government onwards, all Australian Governments have placed an increasing emphasis on the role of temporary visas for Australian migration policy. This has resulted in a marked increase in the number of temporary visas granted, as well as a growing population of people living in Australia on temporary visas.

 

Student visas

International student visas have been the major reason why Australia has seen a large increase in temporary visa holders. A strong majority of these visas are linked to universities and vocational education providers. Since 2012-13, student visas have grown by an average of 8-10 per cent per year.

The international border closure stopped this growth and resulted in a large decrease in the total number of visas granted to international students.

There is much uncertainty about the future regarding international students in Australia. In addition to COVID-19, other factors will shape what happens into the future, including the behaviour of higher education providers, the economy, policy settings, and Australia’s relative attractiveness compared with other countries.

For example, as part of their plan to halve contemporary high levels of net overseas migration by 2025, the Federal Government has announced several measures that will limit the number of international students coming to Australia. These measures include stricter visa conditions, higher English-language test requirements and an increase in fees for international student visas. The impact of these reforms is visible in the decline of international student visa grants between 2023 and 2024.

 

Working holiday visas

During the border closures, fewer working holiday maker visas were granted. This led to a major decrease in the number of working holiday makers in Australia as those leaving were not replaced by new arrivals. In 2023 and 2024, primary working holiday visa grants have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

A working Holiday Maker visa is granted for 12 months and allows people under 30 and 35 from a number of countries the opportunity to work and holiday in Australia.

This visa category grew quickly through the Global Financial Crisis and mining boom as Australia was relatively well off economically speaking, in comparison to other developed countries.

This has since levelled off since 2016. More recently, some newer free trade agreements that have been signed between Australia and other countries include provisions for a capped number of youth mobility visas so we could see these numbers increase over the next few years.

A second and third year visa is available if applicants conduct three or six months’ work in regional communities, working in the agricultural, construction or mining sectors, tourism or hospitality sectors.

 

Temporary skilled visas

Temporary Work (skilled) visas are employer-sponsored visas, which last up to two or four years. This was previously known as the 457 visa. As the visa requires an employer to sponsor the worker, this visa category often tracks the strength or weakness of the labour market. There was a strong dip after the GFC, with subsequent growth through the mining boom. The ensuing downward trend was a result of slower economic growth and restrictive policy changes. Since 2022, temporary work (skilled) visa grants have increased. In 2023, visa grants reached the highest number since 2014.

 

 

Temporary graduate visas

Temporary graduate visas allow international students who studied eligible courses to gain a two, three, or four year working visa. The visa was overhauled in 2011, laying the foundation for the strong growth seen since 2016. In the financial year ending 30 June 2023, a record number of about 179,000 visas were granted. The financial year ending 30 June 2024 continued the strong growth observed since 2016, even though visa grant numbers halved year-on-year.

Unlike other temporary visas, the vast majority of people who apply for a temporary graduate visa are already in Australia. This means the border closures have had a more muted effect for temporary graduate visas compared to other visa categories. 

This visa is considered important by the higher education sector in attracting international students. However, there is little evidence to assess this. It is also unclear if this visa is primarily intended as a student-related visa or a labour-market visa.

 

The Scanlon Foundation Research Institute respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.