MAIN COUNTRIES OF BIRTH

At 30 June 2010, persons born in the United Kingdom continued to be the largest group of overseas-born residents, accounting for 5.3% of Australia's total population. Persons born in New Zealand accounted for 2.4% of Australia's total population, followed by persons born in China (1.7%), India (1.5%) and Italy (1.0%).

The proportion of the Australian population who were born in the United Kingdom experienced a decline between 2000 and 2010 (5.9% in 2000 and 5.3% in 2010). This was also apparent for persons born in Italy (1.3% and 1.0%). Conversely, the proportions increased for people born in New Zealand (from 1.9% to 2.4%), China (from 0.8% to 1.7%) and India (from 0.5% to 1.5%).

Between 2000 and 2010, persons born in Nepal had the highest rate of increase in Australia's population (of the top 50 countries of birth at 30 June 2010) with an average annual growth rate of 29.1%. However, this growth began from a small base of 2,300 persons at 30 June 2000. The second fastest increase over this period was in the number of persons born in Sudan (20.1% per year on average), followed by those born in India (13.5%), Bangladesh (12.9%), and Zimbabwe and Pakistan (10.5% each). Of the top 50 countries of birth, the number of persons born in Hungary decreased the most, with an average annual decrease of 1.3%, closely followed by both Poland and Italy, with an average annual decrease of 1.1% each. The next largest decreases were of persons born in Malta (0.7%) and Greece and Cyprus (0.6% each).

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