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 | MEDIA FACT SHEET | |
| June 27, 2007 | Embargoed 9.30 am (AEST) | 70/2007 |
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More than one in five Australians born overseas: Census |
- According to the 2006 Census, the proportion of the population reporting that they had been born overseas has remained unchanged since 1996 – 22% of the total population.
- The overseas-born population increased in number between 1996 and 2006 by 13%, from around 3.9 million to 4.4 million. The two largest overseas-born groups have continued to be those born in England (19% of all overseas-born) and New Zealand (9%). China overtook Italy as the third largest birthplace group (each country accounting for around 5% of all overseas-born).
- Around 2.1 million of Australia's overseas-born population were born in Europe. However, only 8% of these were recent arrivals (arrived in 2001 or later). Of the 1.2 million Australian residents born in Asia, 27% were recent arrivals.
- A number of Australia's recent arrivals had been born in countries recently affected by war and political unrest. Over 73% (or around 14,000) of Australian residents born in Sudan had arrived in 2001 or later. Similarly, a high proportion of the populations born in Zimbabwe (48% or 10,000 people), Afghanistan (45% or 7000), and Iraq (34% or 11,000) had arrived in 2001 or later.
- Since 1996, the groups which had increased the most in number were those born in New Zealand (by around 98,000), China (96,000), and India (70,000).
- Between 1996 and 2006, the size of the European-born population in Australia decreased. Since 1996, the biggest decreases in the number of Australian residents born in a particular country were for Italy (by around 39,000), Greece (17,000), and England (15,000).
- Western Australia had the highest proportion of its total population born overseas (27%) and Tasmania the lowest (11%).
- Sydney was the capital city with the highest proportion of its population born overseas – almost one-third. Hobart had the lowest proportion – 12% born overseas.
NB: The figures in this fact sheet exclude overseas visitors. Where an answer to a question has not been provided (i.e. not stated) these occurrences form a separate category in the data and therefore some percentages do not total to 100%.
Source: ABS 2006 Census.
Table 1.1 Top 15 Countries of Birth - 1996 Census - 2006 Census |
| |
| | 1996
| | | 2006
| |
| | Persons | Proportion
of all
overseas
born | | | Persons | Proportion
of all
overseas
born | |
| Rank | Country of Birth | '000 | % | | Country of Birth | '000 | % | |
| |
| 1 | England | 872.1 | 22.3 | | England | 856.9 | 19.4 | |
| 2 | New Zealand | 291.4 | 7.5 | | New Zealand | 389.5 | 8.8 | |
| 3 | Italy | 238.2 | 6.1 | | China (excludes SARs and Taiwan Province) | 206.6 | 4.7 | |
| 4 | Viet Nam | 151.1 | 3.9 | | Italy | 199.1 | 4.5 | |
| 5 | Scotland | 146.3 | 3.7 | | Viet Nam | 159.8 | 3.6 | |
| 6 | Greece | 126.5 | 3.2 | | India | 147.1 | 3.3 | |
| 7 | China (excl. Taiwan Province) | 111.0 | 2.8 | | Scotland | 130.2 | 2.9 | |
| 8 | Germany, Federal Republic of | 110.3 | 2.8 | | Philippines | 120.5 | 2.7 | |
| 9 | Philippines | 92.9 | 2.4 | | Greece | 110.0 | 2.5 | |
| 10 | Netherlands | 87.9 | 2.2 | | Germany | 106.5 | 2.4 | |
| 11 | India | 77.6 | 2.0 | | South Africa | 104.1 | 2.4 | |
| 12 | Malaysia | 76.3 | 2.0 | | Malaysia | 92.3 | 2.1 | |
| 13 | Lebanon | 70.2 | 1.8 | | Netherlands | 78.9 | 1.8 | |
| 14 | Hong Kong | 68.4 | 1.8 | | Lebanon | 74.9 | 1.7 | |
| 15 | Poland | 65.1 | 1.7 | | Hong Kong (SAR of China) | 71.8 | 1.6 | |
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Table 1.2 Australian-born/Overseas born split - 1996 Census - 2006 Census |
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| 1996
| 2006
| |
| Persons | Proportion of
total population | Persons | Proportion of
total population | |
| '000 | % | '000 | % | |
| |
| Australian born | 13 227.8 | 74.5 | 14 072.9 | 70.9 | |
| Overseas born | 3 908.2 | 22.0 | 4 416.0 | 22.2 | |
| Not Stated | 616.8 | 3.5 | 1 366.3 | 6.9 | |
| Total | 17 752.8 | 100.0 | 19 855.3 | 100.0 | |
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Table 2. 2006 Census: Top 15 countries of birth for recent arrivals, Australia |
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| Persons who arrived between 2001-2006 | Proportion of total arrivals between 2001-2006 | |
| Country of birth | '000 | % | |
| |
| England | 89.7 | 11.9 | |
| New Zealand | 82.2 | 10.9 | |
| China (excludes SARs and Taiwan Province) | 71.7 | 9.5 | |
| India | 59.9 | 7.9 | |
| South Africa | 32.7 | 4.3 | |
| Malaysia | 23.2 | 3.1 | |
| Philippines | 22.9 | 3.0 | |
| Korea, Republic of (South) | 20.9 | 2.8 | |
| United States of America | 17.9 | 2.4 | |
| Indonesia | 16.9 | 2.2 | |
| Sudan | 14.0 | 1.9 | |
| Singapore | 13.7 | 1.8 | |
| Hong Kong (SAR of China) | 13.4 | 1.8 | |
| Sri Lanka | 13.1 | 1.7 | |
| Viet Nam | 12.9 | 1.7 | |
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Table 3. 2006 Census: Australian and overseas-born(a) |
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| Australian Born | Overseas Born | |
| State/Territory | % | % | |
| |
| NSW | 69.0 | 23.8 | |
| Vic | 69.6 | 23.8 | |
| Qld | 75.2 | 17.9 | |
| SA | 74.0 | 20.3 | |
| WA | 65.3 | 27.1 | |
| Tas | 83.2 | 10.6 | |
| NT | 76.8 | 13.8 | |
| ACT | 73.0 | 21.7 | |
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| (a) Figures do not add to 100% because of the proportion of people who did not state their country of birth. |
Table 4. 2006 Census: Australian and overseas-born, capital cities(a)(b) |
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| Australian-born | Overseas-born | |
| Capital City | % | % | |
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| Sydney | 60.4 | 31.7 | |
| Melbourne | 64.2 | 28.9 | |
| Brisbane | 72.0 | 21.7 | |
| Adelaide | 70.7 | 23.7 | |
| Perth | 61.5 | 31.3 | |
| Hobart | 81.6 | 12.0 | |
| Darwin | 70.7 | 18.3 | |
| Canberra | 73.0 | 21.7 | |
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| (a) Capital City Statistical Division. |
| (b) Figures do not add to 100% because of the proportion of people who did not state their country of birth. |
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