3412.0 - Migration, Australia, 1995-96  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/04/1997   
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MEDIA RELEASE

April 08, 1997
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
51/1997

Almost 100,000 new settlers in 1995-96

In 1995-96 there were 99,100 settler arrivals in Australia, an increase of 13 per cent over the previous year, according to the latest Migration, Australia report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

When permanent departures are taken into account, net permanent migration for 1995 - 96 was 70,500, an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year. For the first time on record, the largest group of new settlers were those born in New Zealand (12 per cent or 12,300) exceeding those born in the United Kingdom (11 per cent or 11,300). The most rapidly growing group were the China-born. Arrivals from China tripled between 1994-95 and 1995-96 from 3,700 to 11,200.

More than one-third of people leaving Australia permanently went to New Zealand. The United Kingdom (18 per cent), the United States of America (8 per cent) and Hong Kong (5 per cent) were the other main destinations. Former settlers made up 46 per cent of permanent departures. About three-quarters of these returned to their country of birth. During 1995 - 96 Australia's population grew by 1.3 per cent to 18,289,000. Net overseas migration contributed 48 per cent of this growth, compared to 38 per cent in the previous year.

Every State and Territory experienced population growth during 1995 - 96. Queensland had the highest growth rate of 2.4 per cent, and Tasmania the lowest at 0.1 per cent. Natural increase was the major component of growth for all States and Territories except Queensland. Growth due to net overseas migration was greatest in New South Wales (0.9 per cent), Western Australia (0.8 per cent) and Victoria (0.6 per cent).

In terms of net interstate migration, Queensland made the most significant gain (1.1 per cent). Western Australia and the Northern Territory were the only other States or Territories to record population gains from net interstate migration. The largest decline was experienced by Tasmania (0.6 per cent). Queensland again recorded the largest population gain from total net migration (52,000). South Australia and Tasmania were the only States to experience loss of population through net migration.

The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory had the highest rates of population turnover (23 per cent and 17 per cent respectively), turnover being the total number of moves expressed as a proportion of the resident population.

The reports also says that at 30 June 1996, 23 per cent of Australia's population had been born overseas. The United Kingdom continued to dominate the overseas-born group, contributing 7 per cent of Australia's population. Those born in New Zealand (2 per cent) and Italy (1 per cent) were the next largest groups. Five per cent of the population were born in countries in the Southeast, Northeast and Southern Asian regions.

The contributions of selected groups are detailed in three special feature articles in the publication. The features are Philippines-born settlers; China-born settlers and Education: a rapidly growing export industry. Details are in Migration Australia (cat. no. 3412.0) which is available from ABS bookshops.