AUSTRALIA’S POPULATION INCREASE (LAST 12 MONTHS): Australia’s annual growth rate is 1.8% which equates to 405,400 people over the last year. In 2008 net overseas migration was 459,904 (therefore population growth numbers in the last year were 54,504 less than they were 5 years ago). Annual growth is comprised of two factors: natural increase (births minus deaths) and net overseas migration (permanent arrivals minus permanent departures). A permanent arrival is defined by someone living in Australia for 12 months or more (or 12 months over a 16 month period). The same time frames apply to permanent departures. 59% of Australia’s population increase is through migration which was 241,000 people last year. In 2008 net overseas migration was 315,700 which equates to 74,700 fewer last year than 5 years ago. 41% of Australia’s population growth was through natural increase which was 164,400 people. Natural increase: 164,400 (41% of population growth) Births: 310,600 Deaths: 146,200 Net overseas migration: 241,000 (59% of population growth) Arrivals: 511,600 Departures: 270,600 The net overseas migration rate for the last decade has been hovering around 1% per annum (that is, it is the equivalent of about 1% of our population while the natural increase is equivalent to about 0.8% to our population). 42% of those migrating are given permanent visas which was 101,230 in the last year. Therefore those given permanent visas account for 25% of Australia’s population growth. Of the net overseas migration, 58% are granted temporary visas (students, working holiday makers, visitors staying 12 months or more, 457 work visas), and 42% are granted permanent visas (skilled, family and humanitarian). 20% of these are part of Australia’s humanitarian program- a total of 19,930 (with the remainder being skilled visas, 43%, and family visas, 37%), and so Australia’s humanitarian program accounts for 5% of Australia’s growth. Of the humanitarian visas, 63% are granted offshore (as part of the UNHCR program in operation, particularly in the Middle East, Africa and Asia), 12% are granted to existing visa holders who are already in Australia, and 25% are granted to people who have arrived into Australian territorial waters by boat and are processed in detention centres (a total of 4,949 in the last year). Therefore asylum seekers account for 1.2% of Australia’s population growth. Immigration Detention and Community Statistics Summary As at 31 May 2014, there were 4016 people in immigration detention facilities, including 2779 in immigration detention on the mainland and 1237 in immigration detention on Christmas Island. Of these people in detention, 89% had arrived by boat (3566 people). The number in detention facilities currently is less than half the number that were in detention facilities a year ago (In May 2013 there were 8521).

1. IMMIGRATION IN AUSTRALIAPOPULATION GROWTH, BOAT ARRIVALS & AUSTRALIA’S HUMANITARIAN PROGRAM
Sources
Department of Immigration (immi.gov.au)
Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)
Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia
c b McCrindle2014
POPULATION GROWTH AND ASYLUM SEEKERS 2005 - 2014
researchvisualisation.com
42% OF OVERSEAS MIGRATION
59% OF TOTAL POPULATION G
ROWTH
20% OF ALL PERMANENT V
ISAS
25% OF ALL HUMANITARIAN VISAS
1.8%POPULATION GROWTH RATE
405,400PEOPLE OVER THE LAST YEAR
41% Natural increase
59% Overseas migration
34% Temporary visas
25% Permanent visas
10.8% Skilled visas
9.2% Family visas
5.0% Humanitarian visas
3.2% Offshore visas
0.6% Existing visa holders
1.2% Asylum seekers by boat
41% Natural increase
59% Overseas migration
34% Temporary visas
25% Permanent visas
10.8% Skilled visas
9.2% Family visas
5.0% Humanitarian visas
41% Natural increase
59% Overseas migration
34% Temporary visas
25% Permanent visas
41% Natural increase
59% Overseas migration
Australia’s annual growth rate is 1.8%
which was an increase of 405,400 people
over the last year.
59% of Australia’s population increase is
through migration which was 241,000
people last year. In 2008 net overseas
migration was 315,700 which means that
last year migration numbers were 74,700
fewer than 5 years ago. 41% of Australia’s
growth was through natural increase
which was 164,400 people.
Of the net overseas migration, 58% are
granted temporary visas (students,
working holiday makers, visitors staying
12 months or more, 457 work visas), and
42% are granted permanent visas (skilled,
family and humanitarian).
20% of the permanent visas comprise
Australia’s humanitarian program, a total
of 19,930 (the rest are skilled visas, 43%
and family visas, 37%), and so Australia’s
humanitarian program accounts for 5% of
Australia’s population growth.
Of the humanitarian visas, 63% are
granted offshore, 12% are granted to
existing visa holders who are already in
Australia, and 25% (4,949) are granted to
people who have arrived into Australian
territorial waters by boat and are
processed in detention centres.
TOTALGROWTH
405,400
OVERSEASMIGRATION
241,000
PERMANENTVISAS
101,230
HUMANITARIANVISAS
19,930
ASYLUMSEEKERS
4,949
ASYLUM SEEKERS
1.2%OF POP. GROWTH
HUMANITARIAN VISAS
5.0%OF POP. GROWTH
PERMANENT VISAS
25%OF POP. GROWTH
OVERSEAS MIGRATION
59%OF POP. GROWTH
Thereforeasylumseekers
grantedvisasaccountfor1.2%
ofAustralia’spopulationgrowth.
Even if every asylum seeker who arrived
by boat since 2005 (52,017) was granted
entry to Australia (and many have
returned voluntarily, others have been
deported, and still others are yet to have
their cases determined), the total number
when compared to Australia’s population
growth over this 9.5 year period
(3,514,300) would account for less than
1.5% of Australia’s population growth.
ASYLUM SEEKERS
1.5%OF POP. GROWTH
Sototalarrivalsbyboatoveralmost10yearsisthe
equivalentoflessthan9weeksofAustralianbirths.
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
52,017 arrivals by boat between 2005 and mid 2014
9 weeks
of births308,100 births for 2013
TOTALARRIVALSBYBOAT
1.5% - 52,017
TOTALPOP.GROWTH
98.5% - 3,514,300