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.

In the 12 months to September 2024, net overseas migration decreased to 379,800, a decrease of 31.7% or 176,000 people. However, net overseas migration continued to exceed a previous peak of 316,000 in 2008.

Current levels of net overseas migration are considered temporary and are starting to come down from a peak in 2023. 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.

The data is now presented quarterly. You can change the years of data presented by changing the year range, down to 1981 and up to 2024.

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 and 752,000, 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. In the calendar year up to September 2024, there have so far been 459,700 overseas arrivals and 180,300 overseas departures.  

The number of migrants in Australia is a particularly salient issue in Australia in the lead up to the federal election on the 3^rd of May 2025. Following a period of strong growth after the pandemic, it is now receding faster than it grew. For an analysis on the issue based on a working paper published by ANU academics Emeritus Professor Peter McDonald and Professor Alan Gamlen, see this ABC article published on the 30^th of March 2025.

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 10^th 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.

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. Since 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.

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.

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 Refugee Data Finder, between 2003 and 2024, 109,042 refugees were resettled in Australia. This number is defined as “Resettlement Departures”, in which refugees have been granted UNHCR-assisted resettlement (which excludes privately sponsored resettlement) and have departed from either their country of origin or asylum to Australia for resettlement. This number differs slightly from the number previously presented on this webpage. This is a result of the UNHCR decommissioning the Resettlement Data Finder, replaced by the new Refugee Data Finder.  

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. This figure includes refugees, people in a refugee-like situation and others in need of international protection.

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 2024, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of working holiday maker grants.

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.

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. Following the reopening of international borders in November 2021, the number of international student visas granted started to increase from March 2022 and returned to pre-pandemic levels in March 2023.

In 2024, the Federal Government identified a reduction in international students coming to Australia as a key mechanism by which to reduce net overseas migration. Its plan to legislate a cap on international student numbers, however, caused uncertainty for the future of international students in Australia. The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Amendment Bill 2024 proposed that international student numbers would be capped at 270,000 for 2025. It was introduced to address increasing concerns about the country’s housing crisis and infrastructure strain but faced significant opposition from both political and educational stakeholders, which saw the cap as a temporary solution to a deeper problem. While this bill did not pass, a ministerial direction in December 2024 outlined the goal to reduce the number of international students down to pre-pandemic levels. As of 31 January 2025, just over 140,000 student visas have been granted since June 2024.

In addition to COVID-19, other factors will shape what happens to international student numbers into the future, including the behaviour of higher education providers, the economy, policy settings, and Australia’s relative attractiveness compared with other countries.

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. . 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.

The change from an annual to a quarterly view of the number of visa holders reveals seasonal trends. In particular:

1. The spike in ‘Visitor’ visa holders every December occurs as a result of the Christmas holiday period, in which Visitor visa grants double as people visit Australia for the holidays and during Summer.
2. The spikes in ‘Student’ visa holders every March and September occurs due to the beginning of university semesters, in which student enrolments cause an increase of around 100,000 in student visa grants.

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. There were roughly 1,000 less visa grants in 2024 than 2023.

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 was 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 closure has 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.