3412.0 - Migration, Australia, 1999-2000  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 15/03/2001   
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  • Long term migration dominates in net overseas migration: ABS (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

March 15, 2001
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
26/2001
Long term migration dominates in net overseas migration: ABS

Net long-term migration (the excess of arrivals over departures, involving a duration of stay of 12 months or more) in 1999-2000 exceeded gains from net permanent migration for the first time, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Net long-term migration contributed 56,100 people, and net permanent migration 51,200 people, while category jumping amounted to a net loss of 8,200 people. The preliminary estimate of total net overseas migration for the year 1999-2000 was 99,100 people, which was the highest gain since 1995-96.

The top five source countries of long-term visitor arrivals to Australia during 1999-2000 were the United Kingdom (14 percent), New Zealand (7 percent), Indonesia (7 percent), the United States of America (6 percent) and China (excl. Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province), 6 percent. Long-term arrivals came predominantly for education (48 percent), employment (17 percent) and business reasons (10 percent).

Australian residents departing long-term (84,900 in 1999-2000) travelled mainly to the United Kingdom (33 percent), the United States of America (12 percent), Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China, 6 percent), New Zealand (4 percent) and Singapore (4 percent). One-third of long-term resident departures were for employment reasons, just under one-quarter (23 percent) were for holidays, and 11 percent each were for visiting friends/relatives and for business.

Of the 92,300 permanent arrivals during 1999-2000, one-quarter (24 percent) had been born in New Zealand, while one-third (34 percent) were New Zealand citizens. One in ten had been born in the United Kingdom, and a further 7 percent in China.

In 1999-2000, 41,100 people departed Australia permanently. Permanent departures of Australian-born residents continued to increase, reaching a record high of 20,300 people in 1999-2000, almost half (49 percent) of all permanent departures. Of the overseas-born Australian residents departing permanently, around two-thirds (66 percent) were returning to their country of birth.

At June 2000, the Australian population reached 19.2 million, of which 4.5 million (24 percent) had been born overseas. In total, 6 percent of the Australian population had been born in the United Kingdom, 2 percent in New Zealand and 1 percent in Italy. Just under 6 percent had been born in the three Asian regions.

New South Wales had the largest share of net overseas migration (41 percent), followed by Victoria (25 percent), Queensland (16 percent), Western Australia (13 percent), South Australia (3 percent) and Tasmania and the Northern Territory (less than 1 percent each).

Queensland and Victoria were the only two States or Territories to gain from net interstate migration (19,000 and 6,700 people, respectively) during 1999-2000.

Details are in Migration, Australia (cat. no. 3412.0), available from ABS Bookshops. The main features of the publication are available on this site. If you wish to purchase a copy of this publication, contact the ABS Bookshop in your capital city.