Australia’s overseas born population has shrunk for the first time in decades because of the COVID-19 pandemic, new data shows.

The latest population statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that in 2021, 29.1 per cent of Australia’s population were born overseas. This decreased from 29.8 per cent in 2020.

Overseas born people resident in Australia numbered 7.5 million last year and the largest group of overseas-born were from England.

But Indians have been the fastest growing overseas-born group since 2011.

Australia ranks 9th internationally for the total number of migrants among its population but has arguably the highest proportion with 29 per cent. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait have higher proportions of migrants but most are guest workers who are not eligible for citizenship.

The ABS says that usually, more people immigrate to, than emigrate from, Australia each adding to the growth of the national population.

But this did not happen in 2021 because of COVID-19 travel restrictions and the impact on overseas migration in both directions.

“The travel and migration intentions of many people changed due to the pandemic. In 2021, there was a decrease in arrivals of people born overseas immigrating to Australia, as well as a decrease of people born in Australia departing to live overseas,” the ABS says.

England, with 967,000 people, continued to be the birthplace of the largest group of overseas-born living in Australia. But this decreased from just over a million recorded between 2012 and 2016.

Indians, with 710,000 people, were the next largest group but had decreased by 13,000 people during the year and Chinese-born people, with 596,000, were the third largest, but with an annual decrease of 52,000 people

The Australian-born population of 18.2 million increased by 196,000 during the year due to a higher number of births than deaths over the year.

Over the past ten years, and extra 373,000 Indians, 208,000 Chinese and 118,000 Filipinos have made Australia their home.

The ABS data shows that post-WWII migrant groups are aging.

“For example, the Greek-born population has a median age of 75 years. Those populations from birthplaces from more recent groups of migrant arrivals are younger. For example, the Nepalese-born population has a median age of 29 years, 5 years younger than those born in Australia,” the ABS says.

In 2020, the United Nations estimated were of 280.6 million international migrants worldwide, or about 3.6 per cent of the global population.

In Australia the proportions of the migrant populations varies across the states.

WA has the largest proportion with 35 per cent, followed by Victoria with 31 per cent, NSW with 30 per cent, the ACT with 28 per cent, SA with 24 per cent, Queensland 24 per cent, NT 23 per cent and Tasmania 13 per cent

Between 2011 and 2016 the proportion of the population born overseas increased in all states and territories.

The NT had the largest increase with 3.7 per cent over the five-year period and Tasmania had the smallest increase of 0.6 per cent.