Australia: immigration

What percentage of Australians were born overseas?

32.0% of Australia's population was born overseas at 30 June 2025, or 8.8 million people, according to the ABS, released on 29 April 2026. India, England, China and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations, and the India-born population recorded the largest increase since 2015.

The figures are estimated resident population counts, which include people living in Australia for 12 months or more regardless of citizenship. Being born overseas does not indicate citizenship or visa status. The next release is due on 28 April 2027.

Official sources: ABS: Australia's Population by Country of Birth, June 2025

How many permanent visas does Australia grant each year?

Australia's Migration Program delivered 185,001 permanent places in 2024-25, including 132,148 in the Skill stream and 52,500 in the Family stream, according to the Department of Home Affairs' Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25. With 20,000 Humanitarian Program grants, permanent places totalled 205,001. The 2025-26 program was set at 185,000 places.

The planning level is a ceiling for permanent visas, not a measure of arrivals: many places go to people already in Australia on temporary visas. Net overseas migration, published by the ABS, measures actual population change from migration and is a different figure.

Official sources: Home Affairs: Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25 (PDF) · Minister for Home Affairs: Permanent Migration Program set for 2025-2026

How many student visas does Australia grant?

Australia granted 371,564 student visas in 2024-25, down 1.4% on the previous year, according to the Department of Home Affairs' Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25. Higher education grants rose 2.8% to 233,570, while independent English-language (ELICOS) grants fell 30.6%.

Visa grants count visas issued in the year, including to people already in Australia, so they are not the same as the number of international students enrolled or present. In total Home Affairs granted almost 8.3 million temporary visas in 2024-25, most of them visitor visas (4,915,854).

Official sources: Home Affairs: Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25 (PDF)

How many refugees does Australia take?

Australia granted 20,000 visas under its Humanitarian Program in 2024-25, according to the Department of Home Affairs' Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25. The program has grown 13.9% over ten years, from 17,555 grants in 2015-16.

The Humanitarian Program includes offshore resettlement of refugees referred by the UN refugee agency and others, and onshore protection visas for people found to be refugees after arriving in Australia. It is set separately from the Migration Program. Home Affairs publishes the breakdown by component and by country of birth in the report.

Official sources: Home Affairs: Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25 (PDF)

How many people become Australian citizens each year?

165,193 people were conferred Australian citizenship in 2024-25, down from 192,242 in 2023-24, according to the Department of Home Affairs' Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25. The largest countries of former citizenship were New Zealand (33,103; 20.0%), India (23,015; 13.9%) and the United Kingdom (12,674; 7.7%).

Conferral is the main way migrants become citizens and requires a period of residence and, for most adults, a citizenship test and ceremony. The annual total depends partly on processing and ceremony numbers, so it can change from year to year without a change in eligibility.

Official sources: Home Affairs: Australia's Migration Trends 2024-25 (PDF)

How many immigrants live in Australia?

30.4%: that is the share of people born abroad in Australia for 2024, according to the UN Population Division. It was 28.1% in 2015. It is 2nd highest of 30 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 2.1%. World rank, highest first: 16th of 193.

Are more people leaving Australia than arriving?

137,109: that is net migration in Australia for 2025, according to the UN Population Division. Since 2005 it has ranged from 44,447 (2020) to 275,773 (2008). Across East Asia & Pacific the middle value was -373, and Australia placed 3rd highest of 30. World rank, highest first: 11th of 193.

How many refugees are in Australia?

33,415: that is the number of refugees in the country in Australia for 2025, according to UNHCR. The peak was 68,942 in 2006 and the low 20,915 in 2008. Across East Asia & Pacific the middle value was 631, and Australia placed 4th highest of 18. Of 169 countries with 2025 data, 73rd highest.

How many refugees come from Australia?

UNHCR puts the number of refugees from the country living abroad in Australia at 41 in 2025. Its high point since 2005 was 2007, at 57; its low point was 2017, at 10. It is 20th highest of 29 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 73. World rank, highest first: 164th of 189.

How much money do migrants send home to Australia?

According to the World Bank, personal remittances received in Australia was 0.1% of GDP in 2025. Its high point since 2005 was 2011, at 0.2% of GDP; its low point was 2021, at 0.1% of GDP. Across East Asia & Pacific the middle value was 2.2% of GDP, and Australia placed 14th highest of 15. Worldwide: 113th of 127.