Australia's poulation reaches 25 million

Despite a cut in the permanent migration intake from 190,000 to 162,417 in the last programme year, Australia's population has now reached 25 million.

Overseas migration is driving Australia's population growth which remains high in comparison with other advanced economies and has been positive for the economy, helping to arrest the rate of an ageing population. Australia has one of the youngest populations among advanced economies which has changed Australia's demographic profile in a positive way. This inflow of younger people through immigration has significantly reduced the rate of population ageing in Australia and during the last 5 years over 80% of net overseas migration has been accounted for by people under the age of 35.

Of the 111,000 new skilled migrants who arrived in Australia last year, a total of 87% settled in Australia's two biggest cities of Sydney and Melbourne prompting a call for a greater geographical spread of migration to regional areas in Australia where there was demand for particular skills.