CoreLogic’s recent review of 2016 census data on Australian citizenship shows that a growing proportion of Australians were born overseas. There are also now more people living in Australia that are not classified as Australian citizens.
Mainly due to the high level of overseas migration, 10.7% of Australia’s residents are non-citizens. Across the states, the proportion of residents that aren’t citizens ranges from 4.4% in Tasmania to 13.3% in Western Australia, according to Cameron Kusher, head of research at CoreLogic.
Among the capital cities, only Melbourne and Perth have a higher proportion of non-citizens than Sydney.
Many migrants prefer to settle in capital cities and in close proximity to major universities. “A more in depth look at the locations show that many [non-citizens] are located within the same areas, or very close to, major universities,” Kusher said. “This highlights the strong demand for Australian tertiary education services and that when studying, foreign students tend to live close to the university.”
Since the 2016 census, the country’s rate of net overseas migration has accelerated. “While many weren’t citizens at the time of the census, they may become citizens and a proportion will leave Australia,” Kusher said. “It would be reasonable to expect that by the time the 2021 census rolls around, an even higher proportion of the national population is likely to be non-citizens.”
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