Each year, Australia’s population increases as a result of net overseas migration and natural increase (the number of births minus the number of deaths). Net overseas migration (NOM) is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia. It is based on an international traveller's duration of stay being in or out of Australia for 12 months or more. In 2009–10, statistics on NOM showed that there were 446,800 arrivals and 248,400 departures, providing a net gain of 198,300 people to Australia's population (table 7.24).
Until relatively recently, Australia’s population growth has come predominantly from natural increase. During the majority of the last 20 years, the contribution of NOM to population growth was less than half, whereas from 2007 to 2010, it was the major contributor (graph 7.25), adding 62%, 65%, 66% and 57% respectively to Australia’s total population growth for each year. However, this increase is partly due to improvements in methodology, which better measure the actual travel behaviour of migrants (both immigrants and emigrants), but it also reflects the recent increases of temporary migrants arriving in Australia.
Graph 7.26 shows that the main effect of NOM on the age structure of Australia's population is that it results in a larger proportion of persons of early working age (15–34 years). In 2009–10, persons aged 15–34 years comprised 68% of the net contribution to NOM compared with 28% of Australia's total population. Persons aged 0–14 years comprised 15% of the net contribution to NOM and 19% of Australia's population, and persons aged 65 years and over comprised just 0.4% of the net contribution to NOM but 13% of Australia's population.
During 2008–09, travellers who contributed to NOM were from virtually every country in the world. Migrants born in India added the most to Australia's population in 2008–09, with a net contribution to NOM of 59,400 persons (graph 7.27). This was followed by migrants born in China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) (33,300), the United Kingdom (29,300) and New Zealand (28,000). Historically, the United Kingdom and New Zealand have ranked as the major source countries to Australia through net overseas migration each year. However, since 2006–07, India has been the largest source country.
Statistics contained in the Year Book are the most recent available at the time of preparation. In many cases, the ABS website and the websites of other organisations provide access to more recent data. Each Year Book table or graph and the bibliography at the end of each chapter provides hyperlinks to the most up to date data release where available.
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This page first published 24 May 2012, last updated 11 November 2015
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INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
Each year, Australia’s population increases as a result of net overseas migration and natural increase (the number of births minus the number of deaths). Net overseas migration (NOM) is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia. It is based on an international traveller's duration of stay being in or out of Australia for 12 months or more. In 2009–10, statistics on NOM showed that there were 446,800 arrivals and 248,400 departures, providing a net gain of 198,300 people to Australia's population (table 7.24).
Until relatively recently, Australia’s population growth has come predominantly from natural increase. During the majority of the last 20 years, the contribution of NOM to population growth was less than half, whereas from 2007 to 2010, it was the major contributor (graph 7.25), adding 62%, 65%, 66% and 57% respectively to Australia’s total population growth for each year. However, this increase is partly due to improvements in methodology, which better measure the actual travel behaviour of migrants (both immigrants and emigrants), but it also reflects the recent increases of temporary migrants arriving in Australia.
Graph 7.26 shows that the main effect of NOM on the age structure of Australia's population is that it results in a larger proportion of persons of early working age (15–34 years). In 2009–10, persons aged 15–34 years comprised 68% of the net contribution to NOM compared with 28% of Australia's total population. Persons aged 0–14 years comprised 15% of the net contribution to NOM and 19% of Australia's population, and persons aged 65 years and over comprised just 0.4% of the net contribution to NOM but 13% of Australia's population.
During 2008–09, travellers who contributed to NOM were from virtually every country in the world. Migrants born in India added the most to Australia's population in 2008–09, with a net contribution to NOM of 59,400 persons (graph 7.27). This was followed by migrants born in China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) (33,300), the United Kingdom (29,300) and New Zealand (28,000). Historically, the United Kingdom and New Zealand have ranked as the major source countries to Australia through net overseas migration each year. However, since 2006–07, India has been the largest source country.
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