India Overtakes England to Be Top Source of Migrants to Australia

India has for the first time overtaken England as the most common country of birth for Australian migrants or residents.

A slight dip in the number of British migrants—around 1 million—in Australia has allowed the Indian cohort to finally catch-up.

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 percent of the overall population, growing from 449,040 people in 2015 to 971,020 in 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

There were 1,006,540 English migrants in 2015, but that has now dropped to 970,950 people in 2025.

Chinese migration was steadily increasing for over a decade sitting on 508,870 people in 2015, and now sits on 731,540 people in 2025.

The next biggest migrant groups are from New Zealand, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Africa, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.

Overall, nearly one in three Australians, about 8.8 million people, were born overseas, which accounts for 32 percent of the population—the highest on record since the 32.4 percent in 1891.

Australia’s population currently sits at 27.6 million.

Australian Migrant Population by State and Territory

Victoria recorded the highest number of Indian migrants with 272,250 people, according to ABS data from 2021, the most recent data.

While New South Wales recorded the highest number of Chinese migrants at 261,330 people.

Across the states and territories, the highest proportion of overseas born residents was in Western Australia (34.1 percent).

This was followed by Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) at about 30 percent. In South Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, the migrant population sits around 25 percent, and Tasmania recorded the lowest number (16 percent).

Immigration Essential for Australia’s Economy: Minister

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has defended migration as essential to Australia’s economy.

Speaking on the Indian Link podcast, Burke 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,” 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.