Overseas Migration

Latest release

Statistics on Australia's international migration, by state and territory, country of birth, visa, age and sex.

Reference period
2024-25 financial year
Release date and time
19/12/2025 11:30am AEDT

Key statistics

  • Net overseas migration was 306,000 in 2024-25, down from 429,000 a year earlier.
  • Migrant arrivals decreased 14% to 568,000 from 661,000 arrivals a year earlier.
  • The largest group of migrant arrivals was temporary students with 157,000 people.
  • Migrant departures increased 13% to 263,000 from 232,000 departures a year earlier.

The data presented in this release are annual, for years ending 30 June unless otherwise noted. For the latest quarterly migration estimates, see the ABS publication National, state and territory population. For Australia's regional overseas migration estimates, see the ABS publication Regional population.

Most data in this release have been rounded, as a result, sums of components may not add to totals.

NOM TableBuilder now available

Quarterly net overseas migration data from September Qtr 2006 to June Qtr 2025 will be released in Tablebuilder on 18 December 2025. This product is updated quarterly. For more information, refer to TableBuilder: Net overseas migration.

COVID-19 travel restrictions

Net overseas migration

Net overseas migration is the net gain or loss of population through international migration to and from Australia.

In the year ending 30 June 2025, overseas migration contributed a net gain of 306,000 people to Australia's population. This was a decrease from the net gain of 429,000 people the previous year, and below the financial year record of 538,000 people in 2022-23.

Historically, more people migrate to Australia than migrate away each year, meaning overseas migration has been a significant source of population gain for Australia rather than loss. This trend temporarily reversed when many potential migrants didn't come to Australia in 2020 and 2021 because of border closures and other COVID-19 pandemic impacts.

Australian borders were reopened to most travellers from 21 February 2022, giving rise to a period of record net overseas migration consistent with a catchup in arrivals following almost two years of border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Annual net overseas migration reached a peak in the year ending September 2023, with a net gain of 556,000 people to Australia's population. Following this peak, there have been 7 consecutive quarters of decreasing annual net overseas migration, with the 2024-25 financial year recording a net gain of 306,000 people to Australia’s population. This lower level is driven by a decrease in migrant arrivals, particularly temporary visa holders, and an increase in migrant departures.

  1. Estimates from September quarter 2024 onwards are preliminary. See revision status on the methodology page.
  2. Net overseas migration is calculated by the number of migrant arrivals minus the number of migrant departures.

Migrant arrivals

In 2024-25, the number of migrant arrivals decreased to 568,000, down from 661,000 the year before. This equates to an annual decrease of 14%, and is the second consecutive annual decrease in migrant arrivals since the borders reopened.

In the five years prior to the pandemic, on average 515,000 migrants arrived each year, with the majority arriving on temporary visas (307,000). There were 92,000 permanent visa arrivals per year on average. For Australian and New Zealand citizen arrivals, the yearly averages were 77,000 and 32,000, respectively.

In 2024-25, there were fewer arrivals on temporary visas (363,000) than in the previous year (458,000). Permanent visa holder arrivals (88,000) were also lower than the previous year (91,000), whereas Australian citizen arrivals (64,000) and New Zealand citizen arrivals (53,000) were higher.

Temporary visa holders were the largest contributors to migrant arrivals in 2024-25. While international students were the largest temporary visa group, with 157,000 arrivals, this was a decrease from the 204,000 in 2023-24. Other temporary visa holders included visitors (56,000 migrant arrivals), working holiday makers (78,000), and temporary skilled (46,000).

  1. Estimates for 2024-25 are preliminary. See revision status on the methodology page.
  2. The visa at time of traveller's overseas migration arrival date. The number of visas here should not be confused with information on visas granted by the Department of Home Affairs as visas can be granted onshore.
  3. Visa subclass 444 is granted to New Zealand citizens upon arrival in Australia if they have not already been granted another visa.

Migrant departures

In 2024-25, the number of migrant departures increased to 263,000, up from 232,000 the year before. This is an increase of 13% on the previous year. Although travel restrictions were lifted more than three years earlier, the number of migrant departures has remained lower than the pre-pandemic level. The 2024-25 financial year recorded the second annual increase in migrant departures since the borders reopened.

In the five years prior to the pandemic, the average number of migrant departures was 288,000 per year with the largest group of departures being those on temporary visas (140,000). For Australian citizen departures, the average was 93,000, followed by New Zealand citizen departures (25,000) and permanent visa holder departures (21,000).

In 2024-25, departures for Australian citizens (82,000), permanent visa holders (19,000), and New Zealand citizens (15,000) were all lower than the yearly average from the five years prior to the pandemic. Departures for temporary visa holders (148,000) in 2024-25 were higher than the yearly average from the five years prior to the pandemic. 

Due to the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions, there were very low numbers of temporary migrants arriving in Australia during the pandemic. Many of those who arrived on temporary visas after travel restrictions were lifted are starting to leave now that enough time has elapsed since their first arrival. For example, migrant departures on temporary student visas increased 112% from 2022-23 to 2023-24, and a further 48% from 2023-24 to 2024-25, as some students finished their studies and returned home. This will continue to have a downward impact on net overseas migration as the volume of temporary migrant departures increases.

  1. Estimates for 2024-25 are preliminary. See revision status on the methodology page.
  2. The visa at time of traveller's overseas migration departure date. The number of visas here should not be confused with information on visas granted by the Department of Home Affairs as visas can be granted onshore.
  3. Visa subclass 444 is granted to New Zealand citizens upon arrival in Australia if they have not already been granted another visa.

Country of birth

Net overseas migration

Arrivals

Departures

World regions

Visa

Arrivals

Departures

Age and sex

Arrivals

Departures

State and territory

Net overseas migration

Country of birth

Age

Sex

Related ABS publications

National, state and territory population
- includes quarterly data on net overseas migration and net interstate migration estimates.

Regional population
- includes annual data on regional overseas migration and regional internal migration estimates.

Overseas arrivals and departures, Australia
- monthly statistics on all international travel arriving in and departing from Australia.

Australia's population by country of birth
- statistics on Australia's estimated resident population by country of birth.

Permanent migrants in Australia — 2021
- statistics about permanent migrants who arrived in Australia between 1 January 2000 and 10 August 2021.

Temporary visa holders in Australia — 2021
- statistics about selected types of temporary visa holders who were present in Australia on Census Night, 10 August 2021.

Migrant settlement outcomes — 2025
- statistics on selected economic and social outcomes of permanent migrants.

Personal income in Australia — migrant content
- regional data on the number of income earners, amounts received, and the distribution of income for the 2021-22 financial year.

Jobs in Australia — migrant content
- information about the number and nature of filled jobs, the people who hold them and their employers.

Personal income of migrants, Australia — 2016-17
- statistics on personal income of migrants including employee income, own unincorporated business income, investment income and other income.

Enquiries

For further information about these publications and related statistics visit www.abs.gov.au/about/contact-us

Data downloads

Notes for time series spreadsheets

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Data Explorer datasets

Caution: Data in the Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check for the current reference period when using Data Explorer.

For information on Data Explorer and how it works, see the Data Explorer user guide.

Notes for Data Explorer datasets

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