State of the Environment

2006

Indicator: HS-07 Migration patterns

Data

Total Movements in and out of Australia
1993-94 to 2003-04
1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02* 2002-03* 2003-04*
Arrivals
Permanent arrivals 69 770 87 450 99 120 85 760 77 350 84 160 92 280 107 360 88 900 93 910 111 590
Long-term arrivals 137 610 151 110 163 610 175 260 188 130 187 810 212 860 241 210 264 470 279 880 289 730
Short-term arrivals 5 414 200 5 922 300 6 535 800 7 038 900 7 240 200 7 479 800 7 951 800 8 574 300 8 113 300 7 965 700 8 870 500
Total arrivals 5 621 580 6 160 860 6 798 530 7 299 920 7 505 680 7 751 770 8 256 940 8 922 870 8 466 670 8 339 490 9 271 820
Departures
Permanent departures 27 280 26 950 28 680 29 860 31 990 35 210 41 090 46 530 48 240 50 460 59 080
Long-term departures 112 730 118 540 124 400 136 770 154 330 140 310 156 790 166 400 171 450 169 100 177 620
Short-term departures 5 423 000 5 908 800 6 534 400 7 054 100 7 230 400 7 468 000 7 967 600 8 633 200 8 205 700 8 007 900 9 046 100
Total departures 5 563 010 6 054 290 6 687 480 7 220 730 7 416 720 7 643 520 8 165 480 8 846 130 8 425 390 8 227 460 9 282 800
Net arrivals 58 570 106 570 111 050 79 190 88 960 108 250 91 460 76 740 41 280 112 030 -10 980

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005, Overseas arrivals and departures, Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics, viewed 29 Nov 2005, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/
Lookup/72AF3D36AD4E7F03CA25688D0009B57F.

* Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005, Overseas arrivals and departure February 2005, Australian Bureau of Statistics, viewed 29 Nov 2005, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/
b06660592430724fca2568b5007b8619/ff16172b85a7b07bca256ff80078a37e!OpenDocument, pp. 8-9

Destination of Immigrants 1 to Australia
1996, 2001, 2004
Destination 1996 2001 2004
No % No % No %
NSW
Sydney SD 32681 81.2 27600 82.6 26423 73.1
Newcastle SSD& Wollongong SSD 944 2.3 977 2.9 1028 2.8
Rest of State 6613 16.4 4856 14.5 8703 24.1
Victoria
Melbourne SD 18239 84.4 17077 85.4 19340 73.4
Greater Geelong City Part A SSD 220 1.0 296 1.5 253 1.0
Rest of State 3139 14.5 2623 13.1 6758 25.6
Queensland
Brisbane SD 5487 55.0 6094 54.1 5364 44.1
Gold Coast City SSD & Sunshine Coast SSD 1426 14.3 1911 17.0 1397 11.5
Rest of State 3069 30.7 3262 29.0 5394 44.4
WA
Perth SD 7860 76.2 8271 75.2 7587 59.7
Rest of state 2450 23.8 2729 24.8 5124 40.3
SA
Adelaide SD 3498 78.9 2827 80.5 3536 61.5
Rest of State 934 21.1 686 19.5 2217 38.5
Tasmania
Hobart SD 243 43.4 332 49.8 535 47.2
Rest of State 317 56.6 334 50.2 598 52.8
ACT
Canberra SD 1216 100 1313 100 1371 100
NT
Darwin SD 390 71.4 260 56.0 429 71.0
Rest of State 156 28.6 204 43.9 175 29
Australia
All Capital cities 2 69614 78.3 63774 78.1 64585 67.1
Total immigrants 88882 81652 96232

Notes:
1 Excludes immigrants from New Zealand. For data and commentary on New Zealand migration to Australia between 1979 and 2003 see Bedford et al (2003).
2 Total of all Capital city Statistical Divisions.

Source: Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs 2005, Destination of Immigrants to Australia1996, 2001, 2004, Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra.

Net Interstate movers - Average per year Australia 1993/94 - 2002/03

Net Interstate movers - Average per year Australia 1993/94 - 2002/03

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Migration Australia 2002-03, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, viewed 29 Nov 2005, http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/
2C6D9DB6B7EF7C97CA2568A9001393D5, p. 73

Estimated Net Interstate Migration by State/Territory Australia - 1983-2003

Estimated Net Interstate Migration by State/Territory Australia - 1983-2003

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Migration Australia 2002-03, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, viewed 29 Nov 2005, http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/
2C6D9DB6B7EF7C97CA2568A9001393D5, p. 81

Capital City Mobility 1996-2001
Capital city SD Intra-urbana Arrivals from Intrastateb Arrivals from interstatec Total movers
Number Proportion of total movers Number Proportion of total movers Number Proportion of total movers Number
’000 % ’000 % ’000 % ’000
Sydney 1 122.3 85.5 80.8 6.2 88.4 6.7 1 313.1
Melbourne 919.6 83.4 67.7 6.1 97.3 8.8 1 102.2
Brisbane 454.2 69.9 90.0 13.9 90.8 14.0 649.6
Adelaide 280.5 78.2 33.5 9.3 38.3 10.7 358.8
Perth 391.7 78.8 51.2 10.3 45.4 9.1 497.0
Greater Hobart 50.1 71.2 9.6 13.7 9.3 13.3 70.3
Darwin 21.3 46.5 3.8 8.4 19.1 41.6 45.9
Canberra 74.3 62.3 0.1 0.1 43.3 36.3 119.3
All capital cities 3 314.1 79.7 336.8 8.1 431.9 10.4 4 156.2

a moves within the capital city SD
b moves to other SDs, same state
c includes unidentified moves

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003, Population Growth and Distribution Australia 2001, Australian Bureau of Statistics, viewed 29 Nov 2005, http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/
b06660592430724fca2568b5007b8619/4274f3e53c143e57ca256d46008193a0!OpenDocument, . p. 48

What the data mean

There has been an increase in the total movement of people into and out of Australia during the period 1993-2004, with net permanent arrival fluctuating between 40 000 and 70 000 per year. The number of long-term overseas visitors arriving in Australia increased from 62 000 in 1993-94 to 191 000 in 2003-04; a rate of nearly 20% per year.

The majority of international migrants arriving in Australia settle down in the capital cities. In 1996 the percentage settling down in capital cities was 78%; however, this percentage has since decreased to reach 67% in 2004. Nearly half the international migrants settle down in Sydney and Melbourne (57% in 1996 down to 48% in 2004).

During 2002-03 approximately 400 000 people were estimated to have moved interstate (ABS 2004).

In the nine-year period from 1993/94 to 2003/04, all States and Territories except Queensland and Western Australia have lost population through interstate migration. Queensland has gained an average of about 28 000 people per year while NSW, the State with the highest loss, lost an average of about 16 000 people per year.

NSW has continued to lose population to other States; however, a similar trend seen in Victoria in the 1980s and early 1990s has reversed since 1999 with the State showing population gains.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Human Settlements — External pressures on human settlements - Population growth and distribution 

Migration, both interstate and international, is one of the key components determining the size of populations in human settlements. This indicator provides information on international and interstate migration.

Other indicators for this issue:

Further Information

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