The latest migration data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows an increasingly diverse and multicultural nation with India and China increasingly the source of new migrants.

The new data gathered just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit shows that in 2020, there were over 7.6 million migrants living in Australia, or 29.8 per cent of the population

One year earlier, in 2019, there were 100,000 fewer people born overseas.

And almost every country from around the world was represented in Australia’s population in 2020.

England (980,400) continued to be the largest group of overseas-born living in Australia with 980,400 but this decreased from just over a million, recorded in the period 2012 to 2016

People born in India, at 721,000, were in second place, with an increase of 56,300 people.

Chinese-born migrants numbered 650,600, and fell to third place, with 17,300 fewer people than in the previous period.

Australian-born people numbered 18 million, an increase of 211,400 over the year.

The ABS research said that, historically, more people immigrate to, than emigrate from, Australia adding to the growth of the national population.

“The various waves of migrants from numerous countries over time, have had an important effect on the diversity of Australia’s population,” the report said.

“High levels of immigration in the years before 1891 resulted in 32 per cent of the population enumerated as overseas-born in the first country-wide census in 1891. In 2020 the proportion of Australia’s population born overseas was 30 per cent,” it said.

The data shows there are differences in the age structure of people born in Australia and those born overseas.

Australian-born people dominate the younger age groups, while the overseas-born increase from the 20-24 year age group.

“The main reason there are fewer overseas-born in the very young age groups is that most people are far less likely to migrate with young families,” the report said.

In 2020 the highest proportions of the population for those born overseas, were aged 30-34 years and those aged 35-39 years (each 2.9 per cent), with 1.4 per cent being males and 1.5 per cent females for each age group.

For Australian-born people, the highest proportions were aged 0-4 years (5.8 per cent), with 3.0 per cent being males and 2.8 per cent females.

The ABS data shows median age of the overseas-born population has gradually been decreasing from a decade ago however, at 30 June 2020, a small increase was recorded from the previous year, to 44 years of age.

Meanwhile, the median age of the Australian-born population has gradually been increasing over time to now be 34 years of age, similar to the previous year. The decrease in the median age of the overseas-born population prior to 30 June 2020 has had a positive effect on the age structure of Australia by slowing the ageing of the total population.

“Migrants from countries who were part of the post-second world war migration streams, are now generally older. For example, the Italian-born population has a median age of 72 years whereas, those from more recent groups of migrant arrivals are younger. For example, the Indian-born population has a median age of 35 years, one year older than those born in Australia,” the report said.

The report analysed the characteristics of different groups of migrants.

The group with oldest median age was from Latvia, at 78 years of age with the youngest was from the Cayman Islands, at 14 years of age.

The highest gender ration was from Vanuatu, with 225 males per 100 females, and the lowest was from Turkmenistan, with 37 males per 100 females.

At the state and territory level, the proportion of the population born overseas was: Western Australia with the highest proportion at 35 per cent; Tasmania with the lowest at 13 per cent; New South Wales at 30 per cent; Victoria at 31 per cent; Queensland at 24 per cent; South Australia at 24 per cent; The Northern Territory at 23 per cent, and; the Australian Capital Territory at 28 per cent.

The report said the proportion of the population born overseas increased for all states and territories since 2011 with the Northern Territory having the largest increase, up from 18.9 per cent to 22.6 per cent and Tasmania the smallest, up from 12.5 per cent to 13.1 per cent.

The largest groups of overseas-born residents for each state and territory in 2016 were: New South Wales — China (256,000 people); Victoria — England (193,000); Queensland — New Zealand (220,000); South Australia — England (104,000); Western Australia — England (214,000); Tasmania — England (20,000); The Northern Territory — Philippines (7,000); The Australian Capital Territory — England (13,000).

“The three largest states, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, continued to account for the largest contributions to preliminary net overseas migration nationally in the year ending 30 June 2020. Much of the change observed from one year earlier is due to the impact of COVID-19,” the report said.

It found temporary visa holders were the majority of overseas migrant arrivals (61.3 per cent) and overseas migrant departures (62.1 per cent) in the year ending 30 June 2020.

“There were 312,500 migrant arrivals travelling on temporary visas, including 113,100 international students (22.2 per cent of all migrant arrivals). Arrivals on temporary student visas decreased 31.2 per cent from a year ago. Arrivals on temporary work skilled visas decreased from a year ago by 29.1 per cent to 23,100 people and migrant departures on temporary visas increased 16.2 per cent to 195,800 people, compared to a year ago.