Indians become Australia's largest migrant group, surpassing English-born residents

Indians are now Australia's largest migrant group, surpassing the English-born for the first time, according to ABS data: 971,020 India-born residents (5.2% of the population) vs 970,950 England-born. The England-born population had slipped from just over 1 million in 2013. The China-born cohort is third-largest with 732,000, followed by 638,000 born in New Zealand. Migration has long been a key pillar of Australia's economic growth, helping the country avoid recession since the early 1990s, aside from a brief contraction during the pandemic. The share of overseas-born residents rose to 32% in 2025 from 29.5% in 2022. Immigration has become a political flashpoint amid a housing shortage, with One Nation gaining ground in polls; Pauline Hanson has campaigned against immigration for decades.

The overseas-born share climbed to 32% in 2025 from 29.5% in 2022. Immigration has become a political flashpoint as housing shortages mount, with the populist One Nation party surging in opinion polls since last year's election; its leader Pauline Hanson has campaigned against immigration for decades.

The share of overseas-born residents rose to 29.5% in 2022, according to the ABS.

The population fell in 2021 due to international border closures.

The England-born population slipped from just over 1 million in 2013, according to ABS data.