In data released recently by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, people born in the Philippines represented the fifth largest group of overseas-born residents, accounting for a total of 294,000 people. This is an increase of around 20 per cent from the 2016 census of 246,000.
Australia’s population: over 7.5 million born overseas
More than 7.5 million people living in Australia in 2019 were born overseas, with those born in England continuing to be the largest group, according to new data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
ABS Director of Migration Statistics Jenny Dobak said new figures showed that in 2019 just under 30 per cent of Australia’s resident population were born overseas.
The table below shows the 10 largest groups of overseas-born residents in 2019, and their proportion of Australia’s population.
Australia’s population by country of birth – 2019(a)
| Country of birth(b) | ‘000 | %(c) |
| England | 986 | 3.9 |
| China | 677 | 2.7 |
| India | 660 | 2.6 |
| New Zealand | 570 | 2.2 |
| Philippines | 294 | 1.2 |
| Vietnam | 263 | 1.0 |
| South Africa | 194 | 0.8 |
| Italy | 183 | 0.7 |
| Malaysia | 176 | 0.7 |
| Sri Lanka | 140 | 0.6 |
| All overseas-born | 7 530 | 29.7 |
| Australia-born | 17 836 | 70.3 |
(b) Top 10 countries of birth for overseas-born are at 30 June 2019.
(c) Proportion of the total population of Australia.
In the year to 30 June 2019, 538,000 people arrived to live in Australia.
Of those migrant arrivals, 64 per cent were temporary visa holders including 32 per cent who were international students.
Capital cities
All capital cities recorded net gains from overseas migration.
Melbourne had the largest net gain (77,400), followed by Sydney (73,900) and Brisbane (18,800).
Regions
Sydney and Melbourne contained the ten regions with the highest net gains through regional overseas migration in 2018-19.
Melbourne – Inner had the largest net gain of all (18,000), followed by Melbourne – South East (15,100).
In Sydney, the areas with the largest net gain were Sydney – Inner South West (12,000) and Sydney – Parramatta (11,800).
More information can be found in Migration, Australia, 2018-19 (cat. no. 3412.0), available for free download from the ABS website.
For quarterly migration estimates see Australian Demographic Statistics, (cat. no. 3101.0).
