3418.0 - Personal Income of Migrants, Australia, 2011-12 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/10/2016   
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MEDIA RELEASE
27 October 2016
Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time)
113/2016
Migrants: 2011-12 income up 17 per cent on previous year


Migrant taxpayers generated $53.4 billion in total personal income in 2011-12, an increase in real terms of 17 per cent on 2010-11, according to figures released by the Australian Business of Statistics (ABS) today.

Most of this income ($49 billion, or 91 per cent) was earned as an employee, with the majority reported by skilled migrants.

"This type of information allows us to get a much better understanding of the sources of personal income earned by migrants each year," said Jenny Dobak from the ABS National Migrants Statistics Unit.

"Now that we have three years of data, we know that for the majority of migrant employees, median incomes generally increase over time."

Skilled migrants had the highest median employee income at $51,992, followed by those with an other permanent visa ($41,941) and those from the family stream ($35,620).

Of skilled migrants, professionals had the highest median employee income ($75,284), followed by skilled managers ($68,609).

Interestingly, humanitarian migrants continued to have the highest median business income ($14,402), although there was a slight decrease in real terms (5.2 per cent) between 2010-11 and 2011-12.

A case study on humanitarian migrant taxpayers showed:
  • Whilst they only represent 4.8 per cent of all migrant taxpayers, they reported $1.5 billion in total income, an increase of 35 per cent in real terms on 2010-11
  • Over 70 per cent of humanitarian migrants were born in just 10 countries, with migrants from Sudan reporting the most income ($245 million)
  • Almost half (49 per cent) of all humanitarian business income was reported by businesses in the construction or transport, postal and warehousing industries.

A case study on Indian-born taxpayers showed:
  • Indian-born taxpayers generated $7.9 billion in total income, mostly employee income (94 per cent)
  • Almost three-quarters of Indian-born taxpayers arrived after 2005. Of these, half were skilled males, with 40 per cent aged 25-34 years of age
  • Female Indian-born migrants who were primary applicants in Tasmania had a median employee income ($82,364) almost double that of their male counterparts ($48,992).

Further information can be found in Personal Income of Migrants, Australia, 2011-12 (cat. no. 3418.0), available for free download from https://www.abs.gov.au.

Media notes:

  • This release presents detailed information on the sources of personal income that migrants received for the 2011-12 financial year, including employee income, own unincorporated business income, investment income, other income and foreign income.
  • Data presented are limited to permanent migrants aged 15 years and over who have arrived in Australia between 1 January 2000 and 6 March 2013.
  • Other income includes transfer or trust income; foreign investment fund and/or foreign life insurance assurance policy income; controlled foreign company income; foreign salary/pension income; other net foreign source income; and other (including superannuation and annuity income). Data for superannuation and annuities are understated. See Explanatory Notes for more information.
  • When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.
  • For media requests and interviews, contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070 (8.30am - 5pm Mon-Fri).
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