11 things you may not know about Australians born overseas
Despite their diverse origins, Australians born overseas often bring unique perspectives and experiences to the table, shaping a rich tapestry of cultural insights within the country.
Here are 11 interesting facts about Australians born overseas that might surprise you, according to ABS’s latest data:
- Australia’s population included 8.2 million people who were born overseas as of June 2023. This was an increase of 494,000 from one year earlier.
- The percentage of people born overseas increased to 30.7% in 2023. This is the first time the percentage has exceeded 30% since 1893 and comes as international travel rebounds following COVID-19 safety measures being lifted.
- The lowest proportion of overseas-born Australians since records began was 10% in 1947 with major global events like World War I, the Great Depression and World War II affecting migration.
- England, India, China and New Zealand were the most common countries of birth within the overseas-born population in June 2023. Together, they made up over one-third of Australians born overseas.
- Australians born in England (962,000) were still the largest group born overseas. However, this population has steadily fallen from a peak of just over one million in 2013. Those born in India (846,000) were the second largest group born overseas.
- India was the country of birth with the largest population increase (other than Australia) in Australia’s population over the past decade, increasing by 467,000 people since 2013.
- The median age of people born overseas decreased from 45 years in 2021 to 43 years in 2023. This change occurred due to the re-opening of international borders and an associated increase in younger people (such as international students) migrating to Australia.
- The country of birth with the highest median age was Latvia at 80 years. Qatar had the lowest median age at 15 years.
- The age group with the highest proportion of people born overseas was 35 to 39 years old with 43% born overseas. This contrasts with 0 to 4-year-olds, with only 3% born overseas.
- Western Australia had the highest percentage of people born overseas (34%) in June 2021, but it was the only state or territory to record a drop since 2016, down from 35%. Tasmania had the lowest proportion in 2021 with 16%, however, it had the largest increase from the previous five years, up from 13% in 2016.
- Globally, in 2020 Australia was ranked ninth by the number of people in national populations who were born overseas, with 7.7 million. In that year, the United Nations estimated 280.6 million people worldwide resided outside their country of birth – 3.6% of the global population.
