One in Every Four Australians Born Overseas -ABS
10 April 2006 at 1:04 pm
One in every four (24%) Australians were born overseas, according to new figures released today the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This proportion maintains the record level of migrants first reached in 2003-04.
Over the nine years to June 2005, the largest increase of overseas-born people in Australia’s population was from New Zealand (140,100 people).
The Australian population born in China has increased by 70,000 people in this period.
People born in India (up 53,900) and South Africa (up 52,000) also made large contributions to growth.
The largest decreases of overseas-born people in Australia’s population over the last nine years were from Italy (down 34,800 people) and the United Kingdom (down 26,800).
Sudan-born people are currently the fastest growing birthplace group. Over the past nine years the number of people in the Australian population who were born in Sudan has increased by an average of 28% per year (starting from a low base of only 2,600 people in 1996).
Other fast growing birthplace groups were Afghanistan (12% per year on average) and Iraq (10%).
In regional terms, the highest number of overseas born people were from Europe (2.3 million people), despite decreasing in number between 1996 and 2005. The number of people born in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased rapidly between 1996 and 2005, growing by an average of 6% per year.
Link: www.abs.gov.au
