by JERRY ZHU – INDIA has overtaken England as the most common country of birth for Australian migrants or residents.
A slight dip in the number of British migrants – around one million – in Australia has allowed the Indian cohort to finally catch-up.
- Indians make up 3.5 per cent of the overall population, growing from 449,000 in 2015 to 971,000 in 2025.
- Victoria recorded the highest number of Indian migrants with 272,000.
- Australia’s population currently sits at 27.6m.
For years, Chinese migration (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) was neck and neck with India. However, after the pandemic, India steamed ahead.
Indians make up 3.5 per cent of the overall population, growing from 449,000 people in 2015 to 971,000 in 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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There were 1,007,000 English migrants in 2015, but that has now dropped to 971,000 people in 2025.
Chinese migration was steadily increasing for over a decade sitting on 509,000 people in 2015, and now sits on 732,000 people in 2025.
Overall, nearly one in three Australians, about 8.8m people, were born overseas, which accounts for 32 per cent of the population – the highest on record since the 32.4 per cent in 1891.
Australia’s population currently sits at 27.6m.
Victoria recorded the highest number of Indian migrants with 272,000 people, according to ABS data from 2021, the most recent data.
While NSW recorded the highest number of Chinese migrants at 261,000 people.
Across the States and territories, the highest proportion of overseas born residents was in Western Australia (34.1 per cent).
This was followed by Victoria, NSW and the ACT at about 30 per cent.
In South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, the migrant population sits around 25 per cent – while Tasmania recorded the lowest intake at 16 per cent.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended migration as essential to Australia’s economy.
Speaking on the Indian Link podcast, he argued the focus should be on targeting skilled arrivals rather than cutting numbers outright.
He said migrants played a critical role in key sectors, noting half of the nation’s doctors and registered nurses are born overseas, with a further quarter of tradespeople from migrant backgrounds.
“We can’t run our health system or build the houses we need without immigration,” Mr Burke said.
He further added that Australia relies on a “well-targeted immigration program” that matches the growth of the Indian community.
The minister also pushed back against claims that frame migration as a problem, saying it casts suspicion on immigrants, undermining the economy and social cohesion.
Burke also claimed the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, had been framing immigration as a way to “get votes” from One Nation, which has experienced a surge in support.
The comments come after Taylor announced the Liberal Party’s immigration policy, pledging to crack down on around 65,000 people in Australia whose visas had expired.
He further noted the policy would see residents who commit serious crimes be deported, or who fail to demonstrate Australian values.PC
