Canberra, Dec 16: Australia experienced a record-high inflow of foreign migration in the 2022-23 financial year, led by a substantial increase in temporary visa holders, according to official data released by the ABS on Friday. , Data for the 12 months ending in June showed net foreign migration of 518,000, the highest on record.
Net foreign migration is determined by subtracting migrant departures from migrant arrivals. Over the 2022-23 period, a record-breaking 737,000 migrants arrived in Australia, a significant increase from 427,000 in the previous 12 months. In contrast, departures stood at 219,000, the lowest figure since 2006–07.
Jenny Dobak, head of migration statistics at the ABS, attributed the drop in departures to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that travel restrictions during the pandemic influenced temporary migrants to stay in Australia longer, contributing to the lower number of departures in 2022-23.
Temporary visa holders made up a significant portion of migrant arrivals, with 554,000 (75%) entering on temporary visas, including 283,000 international students. India emerged as the leading country in terms of arrivals in 2022-23, accounting for 14.3% of the total, followed by China, Philippines, Australia and the UK.
The average age of migrant arrivals was 27 years, while the average age of departures was 33 years.
