Statistics on international travel arriving in and departing from Australia.
In September 2021:
Total arrivals: 18,840 – a monthly decrease of 8,140 trips
Total departures: 30,330 – a monthly decrease of 6,860 trips. The lowest on record.
These statistics report on the number of international border crossings rather than the number of people. Most data in this release are rounded to the nearest 10. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals.
This release presents statistics on overseas arrivals and departures, which is not the same as migration statistics.
If you are looking for migration statistics, please refer to:
(a) Provisional data for the most recent month has not had the full quality assurance methods applied as is done for the earlier months. Provisional data will be revised in the next issue of this publication.
(a) Provisional data for the most recent month has not had the full quality assurance methods applied as is done for the earlier months. Provisional data will be revised in the next issue of this publication.
To provide more timely travel data in response to COVID-19, provisional estimates for total overseas arrivals and total overseas departures are now included in Graphs 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. Additional provisional data are available under the Data downloads for State of clearance (Table 13), Country of citizenship (Table 14), and Visa group (Table 15). No further breakdowns of provisional data are available, other than those which appear in this release.
(a) Provisional data for the most recent month has not had the full quality assurance methods applied as is done for the earlier months. Provisional estimates will be revised in the next issue of this publication.
| Sep-19 | Sep-20 | Aug-21 | Sep-21 | Monthly change Aug 21 to Sep 21 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category of travel | (no.) | (no.) | (no.) | (no.) | (no.) |
| Permanent arrivals(b) | 7,520 | 920 | 2,800 | 2,290 | -510 |
| Australian resident returns(c) | |||||
| long-term | 10,630 | 2,530 | 5,540 | 3,930 | -1,600 |
| short-term | 992,820 | 8,170 | 10,310 | 6,020 | -4,290 |
| Overseas visitor arrivals(d) | |||||
| long-term | 40,170 | 880 | 2,090 | 2,180 | 90 |
| short-term | 694,960 | 3,720 | 6,240 | 4,410 | -1,830 |
| TOTAL ARRIVALS | 1,746,100 | 16,200 | 26,980 | 18,840 | -8,140 |
| Australian resident departures(c) | |||||
| long-term | 16,930 | 2,790 | 5,420 | 4,430 | -1,000 |
| short-term | 1,133,100 | 13,660 | 16,660 | 14,420 | -2,240 |
| Overseas Visitor departures(d) | |||||
| long-term | 18,560 | 6,060 | 10,250 | 9,220 | -1,040 |
| short-term | 627,950 | 25,980 | 4,850 | 2,270 | -2,580 |
| TOTAL DEPARTURES | 1,796,540 | 48,490 | 37,180 | 30,330 | -6,860 |
a. Category of travel data is not available from provisional estimates.
b. Permanent arrivals (settlers) comprise: travellers who hold permanent visas, New Zealand citizens who indicate on their passenger card an intention to migrate permanently, and those who are otherwise identified as eligible to settle.
c. Australian resident includes Australian citizens, permanent visa holders residing in Australia, and any New Zealand citizens who can be identified as a resident.
d. An overseas visitor is any traveller arriving to, or departing from, Australia who is not an Australian resident.
NOTE: Long-term are travellers who have been away or in Australia for 12 months or more. Short-term are travellers who have been away or in Australia for less than 12 months.
Compares international visitor arrivals each month by source country and change at the state and territory level. Analysis in this section is undertaken on short-term trips (less than 1 year).
For visitor arrivals to Australia:
The three leading source countries where visitors came from were:
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
| Country of Residence | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 80 | 0 | 230 | 470 | 240 |
| UK(b) | 41,300 | 430 | 540 | 380 | -160 |
| Vanuatu | 1,880 | 170 | 770 | 360 | -410 |
| India | 32,020 | 210 | 400 | 310 | -80 |
| Singapore | 36,260 | 190 | 350 | 310 | -50 |
| Samoa | 850 | 0 | 120 | 300 | 180 |
| Indonesia | 15,760 | 60 | 80 | 290 | 200 |
| USA | 48,380 | 610 | 400 | 230 | -160 |
| Philippines | 12,580 | 170 | 210 | 210 | 0 |
| China(c) | 98,990 | 200 | 260 | 130 | -140 |
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival. For September 2021, the highest number of visitor arrivals was observed for New South Wales (2,380) whilst Tasmania recorded the fewest (30).
| State or territory of stay | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 251,730 | 1,880 | 3,990 | 2,380 | -1,610 |
| Vic. | 168,980 | 330 | 700 | 340 | -360 |
| Qld | 160,010 | 730 | 820 | 650 | -170 |
| SA | 22,780 | 100 | 50 | 80 | 30 |
| WA | 69,390 | 300 | 430 | 360 | -80 |
| Tas. | 5,130 | 20 | 90 | 30 | -60 |
| NT | 8,450 | 270 | 100 | 510 | 410 |
| ACT | 8,460 | 90 | 50 | 60 | 10 |
| Australia(a) | 694,960 | 3,720 | 6,240 | 4,410 | -1,830 |
(a) Includes Other Territories.
Compares international visitor arrivals each month by source country for each state and territory. The additional information is being provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyses in this section are undertaken on short-term trips (less than 1 year) unless otherwise stated.
For visitor arrivals to New South Wales:
The three leading source countries for New South Wales were:
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
| Country of Residence | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK(b) | 13,960 | 260 | 390 | 280 | -110 |
| Singapore | 8,670 | 90 | 170 | 180 | 10 |
| Vanuatu | 470 | 80 | 360 | 180 | -180 |
| USA | 24,740 | 320 | 280 | 160 | -120 |
| Afghanistan | 40 | 0 | 160 | 150 | -10 |
| Samoa | 400 | 0 | 90 | 140 | 50 |
| India | 11,320 | 50 | 270 | 130 | -140 |
| Philippines | 5,800 | 90 | 140 | 120 | -20 |
| Tonga | 520 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 100 |
| China(c) | 42,130 | 100 | 150 | 70 | -80 |
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
For visitors arriving in New South Wales for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
For visitor arrivals to Victoria:
The three leading source countries for Victoria were:
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
(c) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
| Country of Residence | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 20 | 0 | 30 | 90 | 60 |
| China(b) | 31,700 | 50 | 70 | 40 | -30 |
| UK(c) | 8,380 | 30 | 50 | 30 | -20 |
| Vanuatu | 440 | 0 | 200 | 30 | -170 |
| India | 12,040 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 0 |
| USA | 9,720 | 40 | 40 | 10 | -30 |
| Hong Kong | 5,290 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Ireland | 1,000 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Philippines | 3,330 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Unit Arab Emir | 500 | 0 | 10 | 10 | -10 |
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021
(b) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
(c) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
For visitors arriving in Victoria for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
For visitor arrivals to Queensland:
The three leading source countries for Queensland were:
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
| Country of Residence | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 4,240 | 100 | 70 | 120 | 50 |
| Afghanistan | 0 | 0 | 40 | 120 | 80 |
| Vanuatu | 530 | 10 | 10 | 50 | 40 |
| Philippines | 1,590 | 60 | 30 | 40 | 10 |
| UK(b) | 9,820 | 80 | 60 | 30 | -30 |
| USA | 8,210 | 80 | 30 | 20 | -10 |
| Ukraine | 60 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 10 |
| Solomon Islands | 500 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 10 |
| New Zealand | 51,820 | 110 | 120 | 20 | -100 |
| Singapore | 5,380 | 20 | 140 | 20 | -130 |
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
For visitors arriving in Queensland for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
For visitor arrivals to South Australia:
For visitors arriving in South Australia for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
For visitor arrivals to Western Australia:
The three leading source countries for Western Australia were:
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
| Country of Residence | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | 20 | 0 | 70 | 80 | 10 |
| Singapore | 10,290 | 30 | 20 | 40 | 20 |
| Afghanistan | 10 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 30 |
| Philippines | 990 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 10 |
| UK(b) | 6,310 | 40 | 30 | 20 | -10 |
| India | 2,260 | 20 | 30 | 20 | -10 |
| Indonesia | 2,860 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| USA | 2,430 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 5,570 | 20 | 140 | 10 | -130 |
| Germany | 1,700 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
(a) Top 10 source countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
For visitors arriving in Western Australia for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
For visitor arrivals to Tasmania:
For visitors arriving in Tasmania for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
For visitor arrivals to the Northern Territory:
For visitors arriving in the Northern Territory for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
For visitor arrivals to the Australian Capital Territory:
For visitors arriving in the Australian Capital Territory for a long-term trip (1 year or more):
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Compares annual international travel arrivals over time by source country, by state and territory, by age and sex, by main reason for journey and by median duration of trip. All analysis in this section is done on short-term trips (less than 1 year).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) commenced daily situation reports of the COVID-19 outbreak on 21 January 2020 and identified it as an international health emergency on 30 January. This was less than a month after suspected cases were reported in Wuhan, China. Initially the Australian Government placed travel restrictions on those travelling to Australia from mainland China commencing 1 February 2020. Restrictions on other countries soon followed. From 20 March 2020, all overseas travel was banned, with few exceptions. The pandemic has continued to disrupt international travel with volumes at a record low for the 2020-21 financial year. For more information, see the Prime Minister's media release on border restrictions or the Smartraveller page from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
Visitors arriving in Australia in 2020-21:
There were 150,880 visitor arrivals in 2020-21. This was down 97.8% on the previous year with 6.6 million fewer arrivals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial declines in travel movements since the introduction of border restrictions in March 2020.
| 2020-21 | '000 | Change (no.)(a) |
|---|---|---|
| Jul | 3.53 | -786.85 |
| Aug | 3.03 | -786.17 |
| Sep | 3.72 | -691.24 |
| Oct | 6.07 | -767.95 |
| Nov | 7.57 | -808.34 |
| Dec | 8.82 | -1,068.90 |
| Jan | 7.99 | -758.60 |
| Feb | 6.26 | -679.15 |
| Mar | 8.32 | -323.57 |
| Apr | 22.61 | 20.36 |
| May | 36.19 | 32.75 |
| Jun | 36.77 | 31.38 |
| Annual Total | 150.88 | -6,586.29 |
(a) Numerical change when compared to the same period of the previous year.
Visitor arrivals to Australia have generally been increasing over recent decades, with a strong continuous increase over the past ten years (as seen in graph 13.2 below).
However, due to the impact of COVID-19, a substantial decline has been observed from February 2020 onwards. Prior to the pandemic, there were a record 9.5 million visitors to Australia in the year ending January 2020.
Events impacting short-term visitor arrivals include:
2020: COVID-19 outbreak from February onwards
Travel restrictions have resulted in a change in the source countries of visitors to Australia.
In 2020-21:
In 2019-20, New Zealand was the largest and China the second largest.
(a) Top 5 source countries based on year ending June 2020.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
Among the top 10 source countries, there was strong growth from Asian countries over the last decade. Recent declines for these countries are due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Country of Residence | '000 | 2019-20 to 2020-21 change ('000) | 2010-11 to 2020-21 change ('000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 83.71 | -944.71 | -1,091.820 |
| USA | 10.2 | -571.26 | -465.54 |
| UK(b) | 8.11 | -554.22 | -653.16 |
| Singapore | 3.86 | -311.87 | -264.62 |
| China(c) | 3.4 | -896.35 | -494.98 |
| India | 3.22 | -281.63 | -141.93 |
| Vanuatu | 2.73 | -9.8 | -7.26 |
| Philippines | 2.58 | -102.65 | -58.79 |
| Hong Kong | 2.2 | -225.19 | -155.02 |
| Tonga | 2 | -6.67 | -5.52 |
(a) Top 10 source countries based on year ending June 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of state borders and airports have been closed to international visitors at different times.
In July 2020 National Cabinet agreed that all international passenger flight arrivals would be coordinated by the Commonwealth Government. This meant that the number of arrivals at each international airport was subject to caps agreed upon between federal and state and territory governments. For example, as part of this national coordinated approach, all international passenger flights into Victoria were cancelled from this time until 7 December 2020.
The proportion of short-term visitor arrivals by intended state or territory in 2020-21 were as follows:
All states recorded growth in international visitors in the ten year period up to early 2020. In comparison, the territories experienced fluctuations in visitor numbers, particularly the Northern Territory. All states and territories observed a considerable drop in visitor numbers in 2020-21.
At the state and territory level, the mix of source countries varies from that at the national level. During 2020-21:
Ten years earlier in 2010-11, New Zealand was the leading source country for NSW, Vic., Qld, SA, and Tas. However, the USA was the leading source country for the NT and ACT, and the UK was the leading source country for WA.
There were more visits to Australia by men than women in 2020-21 (84,130 men compared with 66,750 women). The same was true in 2010-11 (3.0 million men and 2.9 million women).
In 2020-21 male visitors had a median age of 40 years, whereas female visitors had a median age of 41 years. The largest group of visitor arrivals was aged between 25 and 29 years, with the largest source country for this age group being New Zealand.
In 2020-21, the most frequently stated main reason for journey by short-term visitors to Australia was:
(a) As a percentage of all short-term visitor arrivals.
Female visitors were more likely than males to record their main reason for journey as:
Male visitors were more likely than females to record their main reason for journey as:
During the pandemic and associated travel restrictions there has been an increase in travellers recording 'Other' as their main reason for journey.
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting friends/relatives | 43.0 | 68.2 |
| Business | 17.6 | 5.1 |
| Employment | 15.4 | 5.8 |
| Holiday | 8.4 | 9.6 |
| Education | 1.5 | 2.2 |
| Convention/conference | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Exhibition | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Other | 13.0 | 8.5 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Visitors are asked their intended duration in Australia upon arrival.
During 2020-21, the median duration of stay in Australia had increased to 27 days from 12 days the year before. This is due to the impact of COVID-19 on travel behaviour and a much smaller volume of travellers making the data more volatile. The median duration varied between the states and territories and between the numerous source countries. It also varied depending on a traveller's main reason for journey.
In 2020-21, the median duration of days for those visiting the NT was 91 days (or 3 months as recorded on the passenger card), whereas for Qld it was 14 days. Those from Vanuatu and Tonga (with a median duration of stay of 9 months) stated much longer intended durations of stay than most others, but this also varied between the states and territories. Many of these visitors were seasonal workers. Those from New Zealand only visited for 11 days on average, but this was up from 7 days recorded from the year before.
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Aust.(b) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | 274 | 274 | 244 | 274 | 274 | 274 | 274 | 61 | 274 |
| Tonga | 274 | 183 | 274 | 274 | 244 | 274 | 102 | 213 | 274 |
| China(c) | 92 | 92 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 182 | 149 | 92 | 92 |
| India | 91 | 92 | 13 | 92 | 16 | 92 | 21 | 92 | 62 |
| UK(d) | 62 | 62 | 62 | 91 | 68 | 67 | 90 | 62 | 62 |
| Hong Kong | 62 | 91 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 183 | 91 | 43 | 62 |
| USA | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 182 | 61 | 61 |
| Singapore | 61 | 61 | 61 | 50 | 62 | 65 | 92 | 55 | 61 |
| Philippines | 31 | 91 | 15 | 91 | 15 | 15 | 91 | 91 | 30 |
| New Zealand | 10 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 22 | 11 | 11 |
| All countries | 29 | 31 | 14 | 55 | 40 | 53 | 91 | 35 | 27 |
(a) Top 10 source countries have been calculated at the Australia level.
(b) Includes Other Territories.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
(d) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
The median duration of stay of short-term visitors to Australia varied according to reason for journey:
Compares international student arrivals each month by visa type for each state and territory and nationally. It includes both those whose intended duration is short-term (less than 1 year) or long-term (1 year or more). The additional information is being provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(a) International student visa holders whether it be for a short-term (less than 1 year) or long-term (1 year or more) duration.
This is not the same as when a traveller self reports 'education' as their main reason for journey.
(b) English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Due to volatility in the very small number of movements caused by COVID-19, no further analysis has been undertaken.
Compares international resident returns each month by destination country and change at the state and territory level. Analysis in this section is undertaken on short-term trips (less than 1 year).
For residents returning from overseas:
The three leading destination countries residents returned from were:
(a) Top 10 destination countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
| Country of Stay | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 95,180 | 750 | 600 | 870 | 270 |
| UK(b) | 73,830 | 1,080 | 560 | 590 | 30 |
| Japan | 30,860 | 130 | 1,190 | 500 | -690 |
| PNG | 8,060 | 390 | 300 | 350 | 40 |
| India | 22,950 | 440 | 420 | 250 | -160 |
| New Zealand | 110,950 | 940 | 4,270 | 230 | -4,040 |
| China(c) | 46,650 | 500 | 250 | 220 | -30 |
| Pakistan | 2,220 | 70 | 130 | 190 | 70 |
| Unit Arab Emir | 4,310 | 170 | 80 | 140 | 60 |
| France | 16,460 | 120 | 70 | 120 | 50 |
(a) Top 10 destination countries based on month ending September 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival. For September 2021, the highest number of resident returns were observed for New South Wales (4,150) whilst Tasmania recorded the fewest (30).
| State or territory of residence | Sep 2019 (no.) | Sep 2020 (no.) | Aug 2021 (no.) | Sep 2021 (no.) | Aug 2021 to Sep 2021 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 318,840 | 4,550 | 6,920 | 4,150 | -2,770 |
| Vic. | 292,550 | 1,080 | 950 | 600 | -350 |
| Qld | 176,460 | 1,220 | 1,190 | 600 | -590 |
| SA | 47,780 | 260 | 160 | 120 | -40 |
| WA | 120,110 | 750 | 850 | 340 | -510 |
| Tas. | 11,120 | 60 | 60 | 30 | -30 |
| NT | 8,000 | 70 | 40 | 80 | 40 |
| ACT | 17,760 | 180 | 140 | 110 | -30 |
| Australia(a) | 992,820 | 8,170 | 10,310 | 6,020 | -4,290 |
(a) Includes Other Territories.
Compares annual international travel for resident returns over time by destination country, by state and territory, by age and sex, by main reason for journey and by median duration of trip. All analysis in this section is done on short-term trips (less than 1 year).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) commenced daily situation reports of the COVID-19 outbreak on 21 January 2020 and identified it as an international health emergency on 30 January. This was less than a month after suspected cases were reported in Wuhan, China. Initially the Australian Government placed travel restrictions on those travelling to Australia from mainland China commencing 1 February 2020. Restrictions on other countries soon followed. From 20 March 2020, all overseas travel was banned, with few exceptions. The pandemic has continued to disrupt international travel with volumes at a record low for the 2020-21 financial year. For more information, see the Prime Minister's media release on border restrictions or the Smartraveller page from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
Australian residents returning to Australia in 2020-21:
There were 223,830 resident trips overseas in 2020-21. This was down 97.4% on the previous year with 8.3 million fewer trips taken. This was the lowest annual number of resident trips since 1996.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial declines in travel movements since the introduction of border restrictions in March 2020.
| 2020-21 | '000 | Change ('000) |
|---|---|---|
| Jul | 10.28 | -1,112.31 |
| Aug | 8.07 | -922.90 |
| Sep | 8.17 | -984.65 |
| Oct | 11.17 | -1,134.81 |
| Nov | 13.00 | -836.79 |
| Dec | 14.30 | -735.36 |
| Jan | 11.35 | -1,386.07 |
| Feb | 8.39 | -777.00 |
| Mar | 9.25 | -529.11 |
| Apr | 16.99 | -0.06 |
| May | 62.36 | 48.98 |
| Jun | 50.49 | 34.74 |
| Annual Total | 223.83 | -8,335.34 |
(a) Numerical change when compared to the same period of the previous year
Australian residents travelling overseas have generally been increasing over recent decades, with a number of decreases observed over time due to various historical events (as seen in graph 14.2 below) such as the:
However, due to the impact of COVID-19, a substantial decline has been observed from March 2020 onwards. Prior to the pandemic, there were 11.4 million resident trips overseas in the year ending February 2020.
Events impacting short-term resident returns include:
In 2020-21:
(a) Top 5 destination countries based on year ending June 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
Among the top 10 destination countries, the strongest growth over the last decade was for Australians visiting Asian countries. Recent declines for these countries are due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Destination Country | '000 | 2019-20 to 2020-21 change ('000) | 2010-11 to 2020-21 change ('000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 122.74 | -1,022.23 | -937.36 |
| USA | 10.59 | -768.07 | -753.30 |
| UK(b) | 10.44 | -517.57 | -485.92 |
| India | 7.33 | -339.92 | -169.15 |
| China(c) | 5.87 | -391.01 | -348.75 |
| PNG | 5.17 | -65.84 | -73.46 |
| Singapore | 3.98 | -299.86 | -266.92 |
| Hong Kong | 3.37 | -112.09 | -212.24 |
| Indonesia | 2.75 | -1,073.96 | -804.32 |
| Pakistan | 2.61 | -33.20 | -12.61 |
(a) Top 10 destination countries based on year ending June 2021.
(b) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of state borders and airports have been closed to international visitors at different times.
In July 2020 National Cabinet agreed that all international passenger flight arrivals would be coordinated by the Commonwealth Government. This meant that the number of arrivals at each international airport was subject to caps agreed upon between federal and state and territory governments. For example, as part of this national coordinated approach, all international passenger flights into Victoria were cancelled from this time until 7 December 2020.
The proportion of short-term resident returns by their state or territory of residence in 2020-21 were as follows:
In 2010-11 the proportions were different especially for the two most populated states, with those travelling overseas from NSW accounting for 35.3% of all visitors and Vic. accounting for 24.5%.
Most states and territories recorded growth in residents taking overseas trips in the ten year period up to early 2020. Western Australia, however, remained flat from 2014 until the impact of the pandemic. While the Northern Territory wavered during the decade and had started to decline in the year before COVID-19. However, there was a considerable drop for all states and territories from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the state and territory level, the mix of destination countries is similar to that at the national level. During 2020-21:
Ten years earlier in 2010-11, New Zealand was the leading destination for residents of all states and territories except for SA, WA, and the NT (for which Indonesia was the leading destination).
There were more trips taken overseas by Australian men than women in 2020-21 (122,550 men compared with 101,280 women), In 2010-11, there was also more trips taken by men than women (3.9 million men compared with 3.5 million women).
In 2020-21, Australian men and women travelling overseas had a similar median age (41 years and 38 years respectively). Among those aged 20 to 29, women took more trips than men.
In 2020-21, the most frequently stated main reason for journey by Australian residents returning home after a short-term trip was:
(a) As a percentage of all short-term resident returns.
Female resident returns were more likely than males to record their main reason for journey as:
Male resident returns were more likely than females to record their main reason for journey as:
During the pandemic and associated travel restrictions there has been an increase in travellers recording 'Other' as their main reason for journey.
| Main reason for journey | Males (%) | Females (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting friends/relatives | 45.7 | 61.3 |
| Employment | 14.5 | 6.7 |
| Business | 15.5 | 5.1 |
| Holiday | 10.3 | 10.6 |
| Education | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| Convention/conference | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Exhibition | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Other | 11.4 | 13.4 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 |
For Australian residents returning from overseas their exact duration away is measured.
During 2020-21, the median duration away for Australians on a short-term trip had increased to 29 days from 15 days the year before. This is due to the impact of COVID-19 on travel behaviour and a much smaller volume of travellers making the data more volatile. The median duration varied between the states and territories and between the numerous destination countries. It also varied greatly depending on a traveller's main reason for journey.
In 2020-21, the median duration away overseas for those from Qld and NSW was 20 and 21 days respectively, whereas for those from ACT it was 86 days. The median duration of stay for those travelling to New Zealand was 9 days, which was shorter than all the other top 10 destinations. Those travelling to China spent the longest time away (193 days).
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Aust.(b) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China(c) | 197 | 181 | 209 | 204 | 215 | 225 | 255 | 186 | 193 |
| Hong Kong | 189 | 182 | 208 | 184 | 161 | 248 | 21 | 212 | 189 |
| UK(d) | 182 | 167 | 162 | 178 | 156 | 206 | 173 | 156 | 172 |
| Singapore | 178 | 183 | 136 | 148 | 117 | 217 | 58 | 223 | 165 |
| Indonesia | 153 | 186 | 125 | 134 | 154 | 109 | 197 | 126 | 152 |
| USA | 154 | 148 | 110 | 170 | 134 | 162 | 85 | 149 | 145 |
| India | 136 | 143 | 150 | 193 | 146 | 192 | 197 | 120 | 143 |
| Pakistan | 124 | 123 | 120 | 126 | 105 | 291 | 268 | 102 | 122 |
| PNG | 80 | 74 | 77 | 71 | 69 | 67 | 71 | 97 | 76 |
| New Zealand | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 9 |
| All countries | 21 | 57 | 20 | 74 | 75 | 33 | 70 | 86 | 29 |
(a) Top 10 source countries have been calculated at the Australia level.
(b) Includes Other Territories.
(c) Excludes SARs and Taiwan.
(d) Includes United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
The duration of stay of short-term trips by Australian residents going overseas varied according to reason for journey:
From June 2021, the ABS has updated the layout and statistics available at the beginning of this publication. It now includes statistics in the commentary on total arrivals and total departures (including provisional figures) rather than just a focus on short-term travel. This is due to increased interest in all travel to Australia.
To provide more timely travel data in response to COVID-19, provisional estimates are now included in Graphs 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. Additional provisional data are available under the Data downloads for State of clearance (Table 13), Country of citizenship (Table 14), and Visa group (Table 15). No further breakdowns of provisional data are available, other than those which appear in this release.
In response to the need for additional data and analysis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABS will continue to release a series of feature articles containing additional state and territory level analysis of overseas visitor arrivals over the coming months, as well as national and state and territory information on arrivals of overseas students. See the left hand navigation pane to access information on a specific state/territory or article.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) commenced daily situation reports of the COVID-19 outbreak on 21 January 2020 and identified it as an international health emergency on 30 January. This was less than a month after suspected cases were reported in Wuhan, China. The Australian Government placed travel restrictions on those travelling to Australia initially from mainland China commencing 1 February 2020. Restrictions on other countries soon followed. From 20 March 2020, all overseas travel was banned, with few exceptions. For more information, see the Prime Minister's media release on border restrictions or the Smartraveller page from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
This release contains overseas movement data which should not be interpreted as 'persons'. See the Scope section, paragraph 1 in the Methodology for more detail.
The statistics in this release have been rounded. See the Confidentiality section in the Methodology for more detail.
For inquiries about these and related statistics, contact the Customer Assistance Service via the ABS website Contact Us page. The ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to the ABS.
We will be progressively transitioning to releasing Excel files in .XLSX format from 3rd December 2021.
1. For all Short-term Visitor Arrivals (STVA) and Short-term Resident Returns (STRR) series, the trend estimates have been suspended from February 2020 and the seasonally adjusted estimates have been suspended from April 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international travel. For more information, see the Seasonally adjusted and trend estimates section in the Methodology page associated with this release.
2. The quality of the imputation used to estimate duration of stay for some resident departures has been impacted by changed travel behaviour during COVID-19 travel restrictions. The proportional split between short-term resident departures and long-term resident departures has been impacted. Where possible, instead of departure volumes, we recommend clients use short-term resident returns and long-term resident returns for greater accuracy. For more information on how this variable is imputed, please see paragraph 28 of the Imputations and derivations section of the Methodology page.
3. Short-term arrival movements are usually based on a sample and subject to sampling error. However, from April 2020 a full enumeration has been undertaken due to the small volume of international travel movements caused by the impact of COVID-19. See paragraphs 1-2 of the Sampling section in the Methodology page.
4. Occasionally situations occur that necessitate breaks being applied to the trend series. For an overview of the breaks currently included in the trend series, see paragraph 14 of the Seasonally adjusted and trend estimates section in the Methodology.
5. For further information about the data, including updates or changes, see the Methodology page.
Caution: Data in ABS.Stat is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the reference period when using ABS.Stat.
ABS.Stat is updating and the above datasets are now available in 'Data Explorer'.
The data available in Data Explorer is similar to ABS.Stat but with a new interface and added functionality.
For more information about Data Explorer and to see what's changed, see the Data Explorer user guide.
The current version of ABS.Stat will be removed at the end of 2021.
Caution: Data in Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the reference period when using Data Explorer.
This release previously used catalogue number 3401.0
Resident Returns - Calendar year - 2020 (December 2020)
Visitor Arrivals - Calendar year - 2020 (December 2020)
Kiwi travel to Australia during COVID-19 (November 2020)